Battlestar Galactica Past, Present, Future
by Flip62
Summary: Based on the Original Series. Events that happened before,during,and after the destruction of the colonies.Please feel free to review this story, your input is greatly appreciated.
1. Cain's Plan

This is the first in a series of stories I began writing over twenty years ago and recently found in a folder in the back of a closet.

The story begins approximately 3 yahren before the destruction of the colonies.

After reading this little tale, please feel free to make any suggestions or comments you like. I hope you enjoy the journey.

Battlestar Galactica

Past, Present, Future

Chapter One

Cain's Plan

The assembled officers came to rigid attention as he entered the briefing room. They would remain so until given permission to resume their seats. He strode in and headed straight to the front of the room, not looking at any of them, and ascended the steps of the raised dais on which a speaker's podium stood. As he reached the podium, he placed a file folder down on it and began flipping thru the pages. After a moment, he placed his hands firmly on the edges of the podium and scanned the faces of the officers before him.

"Be seated." He said in loud, clear voice.

He continued to look them over as they took their seats. He was tall and lean, his blond hair showed just a touch of grey here and there. His face had only a few small wrinkles, mostly around the eyes. His eyes sparkled like cut gemstones and in them one could see great intelligence and power. One look told you that this was a man of supreme confidence. This was their commanding officer.

This was Commander Cain.

Cain was the commanding officer of the Colonial Fifth Fleet and of the Battlestar Pegasus. He was called the "Living Legend" by many for his unbelievable daring in battle and the shrewdness of his tactics. Add to this the fact that, unlike most other officers of the rank of Commander, it was not unusual to find Cain leading his people into battle from the seat of a Viper rather then the command podium of the Pegasus.

As for the Pegasus, she was one of the most formidable warships ever built by man and the people that served aboard her amongst the finest trained in the Colonial service. No more loyal crew had ever served a commander then those that served under Cain.

Also unlike other officers of similar rank, Cain did not wear the standard dark blue and silver uniform of a bridge officer, but preferred the brown and tan uniform of a Viper pilot instead. Only the gold braid on the shoulders of his jacket was different from the uniforms worn by the pilots that served under him. Cain also had the habit of wearing a silk scarf around his neck and carrying his ever present swagger stick.

Once all those assembled had reseated themselves, Cain began to tell them why he had summoned them there.

"Gentlemen!" he started, "and ladies" he added as his eyes fell upon his daughter, Lieutenant Sheba. She was his only child and one of his finest young warriors, serving as second in command of the Pegasus's strike wing, Silver Spar Squadron. Cain then continued.

"Just this morning, I received orders from Central Command. We've been ordered to set sail within the next sectar and proceed to the planet Molocay, in the Kralar System."

Throughout the briefing room, mumbled conversations could be heard as this piece of unexpected news was heard. Cain let this continue for a moment before he continued.

"There are reports that the Cylons are preparing to move into this area. As you may or may not know, Molocay has become a very important target for both sides due to its strategic location and its vast wealth of natural resources, not the least of which are large deposits of Tylium."

Cain could see many of those seated before him nodding their heads in acknowledgement of these facts. He continued with the briefing.

"If the Cylons can take Molocay, they would gain a perfect base of operations from which they would be able to launch attacks against a number of our outposts. I DO NOT INTEND TO LET THIS HAPPEN!" Cain said, his voice taking on a very sharp, resolute tone on the last statement.

Cain pressed a button on the podium that operated a holographic projector. In the area to the left of Cain, a three dimensional star map appeared, a map of the Kralar System and several others. Cain began to explain his plan.

"It is my intention to bring the fleet in from behind Velorium Prime" he said as he used a laser pointer to illustrate, "and proceed toward Molocay via a direct route through Delta sector. We should catch those galmonging Cylons totally off guard, thus giving us the advantage of surprise"

Cain turned back to his officers, looking each in the eyes to see if he saw any doubts about his plan. Seeing none, he continued.

"As we approach the day of departure, you will all receive copies of your orders. Until then, you are to begin making preparation for getting underway. I know I can count on each and every one of you to perform your duties with the same excellence and professionalism you have displayed in the past. Are there any questions?"

As there were no questions forthcoming, Cain turned and whispered something to a tall, blond haired officer wearing the dark blue and silver of a bridge officer. This man nodded his head and then stepped up next to the podium while Cain gathered up his papers. In a deep, rich voice the tall officer ordered, "Warriors, stand too!"

All those present rose as one, coming to attention. Cain strode from the room, not exchanging glances with any of them. As soon as the door hissed shut behind the commander, Colonel Tolan, Cain's executive officer gave the order to dismiss.

As the officers of the Fifth Fleet began making their way from the briefing room, Colonel Tolan approached three officers that were seated near the front of the room.

"Excuse me gentlemen, Commander Cain requests your presence in his quarters as soon as is convenient."

The three men exchanged glances with one another, then the youngest of the three, a huge man of perhaps forty yahren asked, "What does the commander need us for?"

"The commander didn't say why, only that I was to have you report to him in his quarters as soon as possible" Tolan told him, a touch of impatience in his voice. "I'm sure the commander will tell you all you need to know once you're in his quarters…… SIR" The last part added with just a hint of irritation.

The youngest of the three senior officers, Commander Raylac, was about to say something to the colonel about the tone he was using while addressing senior officers but was cut off by one of the other officers.

"Very well Colonel, lead the way." Said Commander Verga.

Turning to Raylac, he said in a calm voice, "Let's go see what Cain has for us."

Raylac was more then a head taller then Verga, but the look in the smaller mans eyes told him not push the issue further.

"As you say Commander." Raylac replied. Then he shot a glare at Tolan, who met his eyes without even the slightest flinch. After only a slight pause, Tolan turned and said, "If you will follow me gentlemen" With that, the four officers left the now deserted briefing room and made their way to Commander Cain's quarters.

It took only a few centons for the four senior officers to make their way to the private quarters of Commander Cain. Colonel Tolan pressed the call button on the wall panel next to the door. The curt command "ENTER" came over the small speaker above the button. The door then slide open revealing the office area of the Fifth Fleets commanding officer. Tolan motioned for the three senior officers to enter first. They filed in and formed a single rank in front of the large desk to the left of the entry. All three came to rigid attention as if they were first yahren cadets at the Colonial Military Academy, heels together, feet at a forty five degree angle, backs ramrod straight, eyes caged straight ahead. Tolan assumed a similar stance behind the desk, just to the right of Cain, who was seated at the desk going over several files. Without looking up from the papers, Cain said, "Be seated gentlemen."

The three men seated themselves in chairs arranged in a semicircle before the desk. After a few moments, Cain laid the papers he had been studying down and leaned back in his chair, carefully scrutinizing the three men before him.

The first was Commander Verga. He was the oldest of the three, older them Cain himself. He had been in the Colonial service for well over forty yahren. Verga was a fine warrior and might have had command of his own fleet had he not left the service for over ten yahren after the deaths of his wife and three children during the raids on the farming community of Umbra. He had been away with the Sixth Fleet aboard the Battlestar Octavia, only to return and find his entire family buried in the ruble of what had once been their home. Upon returning to the service, he worked his way up to the rank of Commander and was given command of the Gunstar Titan. The Titan, like most Gunstar's, was an extremely formidable vessel. Not as large as a Battlestar, the gunstar was much faster and maneuverable. They were designed as heavy escorts for the fleet Battlestars and, thanks to Cain, the gunstars of the Fifth Fleet had five times the firepower and armor plating of any other class of ship in the fleet, including the giant Battlestars. And, though the Gunstars only carried fifty Vipers, split into two squadrons, they made up for it in other ways. The real "TEETH" of the Fifth Fleets Gunstars were the eight Mega-Pulse Lasers (four forward and four aft), ten missile launching tubes (five on each side with six missiles per tube), and two hundred twin and quad gunned anti-fighter defense laser turrets that covered the ship.

To Commander Verga's left was Commander Bannon. He was much younger then Verga, just three yahren older then Raylac, he had moved up thru the ranks faster then any warrior in history, with the exception of Cain. He commanded the Gunstar Phoenix, like the Titan, it had been modified to Cain's personal specifications. Bannon and the Phoenix had carved out quite a reputation for themselves or the yahren, starting with Bannon assuming command of the ship during a battle in which both the commanding officer and his second in command had been killed. Bannon, who was a Captain at the time and had just been transferred to the Phoenix, assumed command and in what was a brilliant bit of maneuvering, managed to destroy two Cylon Baseships and damage a third. For this, Cain promoted him to the rank of Commander and gave him the Phoenix. He has since been offered command of several Battlestars, but turned them down.

"Trading the Phoenix for a Battlestar…" he would say, "would be like trading a Viper for a shuttle. They both might fly, but the raw firepower of the Phoenix was too much a part of who I am."

Cain's eyes moved to the third member of the trio. This was Commander Raylac, perhaps the most physically imposing human to ever wear the uniform of a Colonial warrior. Well over two metrons in height and weighing in at over one hundred fifty kilons, he was by far the largest warrior in the fleet. He had started out his career as a Viper pilot, and he had done quite well there. It was said that the reason he made the switch from flying Vipers to command was that he had grown to large to fit into a Viper cockpit due to the intensive workout program he followed. At forty one yahrens of age, he was one of the youngest Commanders in the Colonial service, and since he had been promoted only a yahren earlier, he was still learning some of the finer points of command, such as dealing with the resentment of other, more experienced officers that were passed over for promotion. In many ways, Raylac was still very much the cocky, aggressive Viper pilot he had been before.

Leaning forward in his chair, Cain began.

"Gentlemen, I called you here because I have a very difficult mission that needs doing and you three are the only ones I can trust to carry it out!"

The three men remained silent, listening intently.

"As you are all well aware, the war with the Cylon's has not been progressing to our advantage for quite some time now. As a matter of fact, we have been losing ground slowly for more then two hundred yahren. At the present rate, it's conceivable that the Cylons could become a very serious threat directly to the homeworlds within the next five yahren!"

Cain paused for a moment to let the full weight of the statement sink in before continuing.

"I'm not talking about an isolated attack such as those that have already been done on Caprica and Leonia thirty yahren ago; I'm talking about full scale attacks on every one of the Colonies."

Cain rose from his seat and walked to the front of his desk and leaned against it directly across from his junior officers.

"We can't allow this to happen!" he said determinedly.

The first of the three to speak was Commander Raylac.

"So how do you intend to stop them Commander?"

Cain's gaze fell on Raylac for a long moment, his expression unreadable, then he turned and walked over to one of the view ports.

"How in deed commander?" he said softly "How indeed?"

After staring out the view port for a moment, Cain turned to face his men. This was the moment he had to make his decision. His next words could very well undue four and a half yahren of careful work and planning by a number of very powerful people, both in the private sector and in the government, several high ranking members of the Colonial service, and even three members of the Council of the Twelve! Cain read the expression on each mans face, looking for any indication that he had made a mistake in picking any one of them. After a microns hesitation, he decided he had to trust his men to do the right thing. Thus, Cain continued.

"As you all know, the fleet has suffered a number of losses, especially to our Battlestar fleet. We've lost twenty six Battlestar's in the past fifty yahren, SEVEN in just the past FIVE yahren!"

Cain paused for a moment to let this last piece of information sink in before continuing.

"Gentlemen, we can not afford to fight a war of attrition with the Cylons! And since the council will not approve the building of anymore Battlestars, I and others in positions of influence have come up with a plan to remedy this situation."

The three officers began exchanging looks of surprise amongst themselves. Had they heard Cain correctly? It was Raylac that again broke the silence.

"With all due respect Commander, are you saying you plan on building a new Battlestar WITHOUT the approval of the Council?"

Cain looked Raylac straight in the eye and with a great deal of zest in his voice said, "Not one Battlestar Commander, DOZENS! A whole fleet of them. Enough to not only stop the Cylons from advancing any farther, but enough to push them all the way back where they came from!"

Cain then switched his gaze from Raylac to the other two men and continued.

"And I want the three of you to build them!"

This last statement caused all three men's jaws to drop in shock. Was he serious? Did he really intend on building a fleet of Battlestars? And why chose them?

"With all due respect Commander, but building a fleet of Battlestars is quite an undertaking in itself, but to try and do so WITHOUT council approval….. that would be impossible!" stated Commander Raylac.

"Difficult yes Commander, but NOT impossible!" Cain responded.

"Tell me Commander, just how do you plan on funding this Battlestar construction plan of yours?" asked Commander Verga calmly. "You certainly can't take it from the fleet funding? And just where do you plan on building them? You certainly can't use any of the shipyards in the Colonies. The council would be sure to find out before the first keel was laid. And who are you going to get to build them? You'd need at least three thousand people working for five yahren just to build one Battlestar, and you're talking about building a dozen or more."

Cain had a slight smile on his face, he knew they were shocked and confused by this announcement, but he also could see that they were intrigued by its possibilities too!

"All that has already been arranged Commander." Cain told him. "The only thing left is to find the right people to run things. And it is my belief that the three of you are the ones to do it."

For the first time since entering the room, Commander Bannon was heard from.

"Why us? Why not run this operation yourself?"

Cain turned to Bannon and began to explain.

"I'd love to do it myself Commander, but as the Commander of the Fifth Fleet and the Pegasus, it wouldn't be long before I was missed and people began to ask questions. Now, if the three of you were to go out, say on a long patrol, it could be over a yahren before anyone even noticed. Besides, each of you has SPECIAL qualifications that make you perfect for this assignment."

"What SPECIAL qualifications are you talking about?" Bannon asked.

Cain returned to his desk and sat down, picking up a blue folder. He thumbed thru several pages, then looked up at Commander Bannon.

"Let's see, for starters Commander, before you were assigned as tactical officer aboard the Phoenix, you spent five yahren as the military liaison officer at the Caprican Shipyards, assigned to direct, inspect, and approve all repairs and upgrades to the fleets Battlestars. You also have an academy degree in capital ship construction."

Cain raised his eyes from the file in his hand to meet Bannon's.

"Is my information accurate Commander?" Cain asked.

Bannon nodded his head and began to reply, "Yes, it's correct, but….."

Cain cut off the rest of Bannon" statement, "Good, then I was right to choose you!"

"Choose me for what?" Bannon asked, a hint of irritation in his voice.

Cain leaned forward in his seat, placing the folder on the desk.

Commander, YOU'RE the on that is going to build those Battlestars!" Cain said with just the hint of a smile. "Your mission is to operate and maintain the new shipyard that is being built as we speak."

Bannon was in shock. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He stared at Cain completely bewildered.

"New shipyard? I haven't heard anything about a NEW shipyard. Where is this shipyard? Who's building it?" Bannon asked.

"Where it is, that is a secret that you will not find out about until you are well on your way. As for WHO is building it, I've had four of the Fifth Fleets five construction brigades working on this project for over three yahren, and as of last secton, they had almost completed all five building ways." Cain told him with his usual brashness.

"Alright, so maybe you have been able to build this shipyard without anyone finding out. Tell me, who am I going to get to build these ships? It would take thirty to forty thousand people to run a place like that. How are going to get that many skilled people together and transport them to this shipyard without somebody getting suspicious. And then there's the question of supplies and materials. Where is all that going to come from?"

Cain simply leaned back in his chair, smiling and said, "I understand your concerns Bannon and those are all valid questions. But believe me when I say, all of that has already been taken care of. We have everything in place, waiting. All we need is for you to accept this mission. What do say Bannon, are you up for a challenge?"

Bannon was still totally confused by what Cain had just told him. It all sounded like some kind of joke to him, but the look in Cain's eyes told him that his commanding officer was telling the truth. Bannon looked at Cain for a long moment, then he came to his feet and said, "This has to be the most hair-brained scheme you've ever come up with!" he said with a straight face.

Then a slow grin began to spread across his face.

"I'll do it!"

Cain smiled brightly and stood up from his seat, clasping wrists with Bannon.

"Glad to have you aboard Commander!" Cain said happily. "I knew I could count on you!"

While Cain and Bannon celebrated, Commander Raylac looked from one man to the other, then to Commander Verga, trying to figure out what he had just witnessed…… and why he was even there. Seeing that Verga had a similar look on his face, Raylac had to ask, "So Commander, what is it you need Commander Verga and I for?"

Cain looked at the young officer, then to Verga. Seeing both men sitting there with looks of utter confusion on their faces, he continued with the task he had called them there for.

"My apologizes gentlemen, let me assure you both, I haven't forgotten you. I have very important assignment for both of you."

Raylac leaned forward in his seat, wondering what Cain would want him to do, while Commander Verga continued to lean back in his seat with his hands folded in his lap.

Cain sat back down and picked up a red folder from the desk and opened it up.

"Commander Raylac, according to this, you transferred from Vipers to Command because, and I quote, "Captain Raylac is a fine officer and a brilliant pilot, but due to the extensive physical conditioning program that he has followed for the past ten yahren, Captain Raylac has become too large to fit into a cockpit and can no longer operate the mark VIII Viper."

Cain looked up from the file and into the young officer's face, which had turned bright red with both anger and embarrassment. He didn't want it known that he was forced to give up flying Vipers because he was too big to get into a cockpit.

"It also says here that you spent nearly two yahren modifying and redesigning the cockpit of a Viper in an attempt to regain your flight status, is that true Commander?"

Raylac nodded his head, but said nothing, he just sat on the edge of his seat, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, hands together, fingers interlocked, staring at the floor.

"From what I've heard, you've done some remarkable things with the control systems of the Viper, totally redesigned over half the components in the navigation system. From what I've been told, you know as much, if not more about the Viper then the people that designed it forty yahren ago. That's why I want you to run the new Viper production plant at the new shipyard!"

Commander Raylac looked up from his hands in astonishment. He didn't know what to say, he just sat there with his mouth hanging open.

"Congratulations big guy!" Bannon said, stepping over to where his friend still sat dumbfounded. Raylac snapped out of it and stood up, clasping wrists with Bannon first, then with Cain.

"Thank you Commander, I won't let you down!" he said.

"I'm sure you won't Commander, that's why I choose you." Cain said with a smile.

Then Cain looked to the third member of the trio. Verga sat calmly, watching the events of the past few centons play out before him. He was just as excited as his two comrades, he was just much better at hiding it.

Cain smiled at Verga as he picked up a green folder from the desk. He didn't open it; instead he just tapped it on the desk several times as he stared at Verga.

"Commander, we both know what's in this folder. We both know your qualifications and what fields those cover, so let's just cut thru all the felgercarb, shall we?" Cain said. "It doesn't matter how many Battlestars Bannon builds or how many Vipers Raylac turns out if we don't have fuel to operate them. That is your mission Commander; you will establish a tylium mining and refining facility near the shipyard and a solium storage facility from which you will be able to fuel the ships you build."

Verga nodded his head slowly as he stared at his hands setting in his lap, as if contemplating something. After a moment, he asked, "Let me get this straight, from what you've told us of this little enterprise of yours, the Council of the Twelve not only have not approved this project, but for the most part have no idea of its existence. Number two, that you have already found the location for this shipyard and refinery and have almost finished building it. Third, that there are a number of other influential people involved in the planning and organizing of this project. And forth, you have already arranged for the personnel, materials, supplies, and logistical needs to support this for the long term. Is this a reasonable assumption on my part Commander?"

Cain had a knot developing in the pit of his stomach. It was beginning to look as if the four plus years of planning was about to come apart because Verga wouldn't take the mission.

Cain put on his most authoritative face and in a tone that was all business, he said to Commander Verga, "Yes Commander, you are correct. The council, for the most part does not know about any of this. Only three members of the council have been included in this project, and only one of them knows more then just the basic outline of the plan. As for where this is, we found the perfect location, far away from any prying eyes. There are a number of people involved in the planning and organization of this plan, many of them very high up in the Colonial Service. And yes, we do have everything in place to make this work. The last piece of the puzzle is you Commander. We need you to run the tylium refinery. You're the best qualified man for the job. What do you say Commander? Are you with us?"

Commander Verga sat staring up at Cain for several moments, his face an unreadable mask. Then he stood up, casting a glance at Bannon and Raylac who were standing off to the left of the two senior Commanders. Then Verga's eyes found their way to Colonel Tolan, who had not said a word since they entered Cain's quarters. From Tolan, his eyes shifted back to Cain. Cain was still standing next to his desk, tapping the green folder against his leg, a look of anticipation on his face. Verga held his gaze on Cain for a moment, then reached down to straighten his uniform.

Verga stepped over to where Cain stood, and without changing the expression on his face said, "Let's build some Battlestars Commander!"

With that, Cain and Verga clasped wrists and smiled at each other. At that moment, a series of events was set in motion that would carry forth for the next thirty yahren.

And beyond!


	2. The Future Begins

Battlestar Galactica

Past, Present, Future.

Chapter Two

The Future Begins

On the bridge of the Battlestar Pegasus, Commander Cain, the commanding officer of the Pegasus and the legendary Fifth Fleet, was busily going over a number of last centon reports and manifests as preparations for their departure where carried out throughout the fleet. The bridge was a hub of activity, with people moving in every direction. Thru all the chatter and confusion, Cain was able to single out the one voice that was Colonel Tolan.

"Commander." Tolan said as he approached Cain.

Cain turned from the stack of reports to see what Tolan wanted, grateful for the interruption.

"Yes Colonel, what is it?" he asked, praying it was not more paperwork.

Tolan stopped at the bottom of the steps that lead to the command podium.

"Sir, Commanders Verga, Bannon, and Raylac are waiting in your office, per your orders sir."

Cain glanced up at the ship's chronometer. Sure enough, they were right on schedule.

"Very well Colonel, I'll be there in a centon." Cain said to the tall, blond executive officer.

Tolan simply nodded and left as swiftly as he had appeared.

Cain looked back at the stacks or reports and requisitions he had been working on for what seemed like yahren and shook his head. Had the pile of papers grown in the short time he had his back turned? It sure seemed that way. Cain turned to one of the officers working at a console next to Cain's work station, "Major Lojak, take all this felgercarb and have it sent to my quarters. I'll deal with it later!"

Major Lojak smiled and nodded, "Yes sir! I'll take care of it for you."

Cain gave the Major a small salute with his swagger stick and proceeded to his office. As he entered the room, all three officers came to attention in front of the large, wood desk. Cain made his way to his seat and without looking at them said, "Be seated gentlemen. We have a lot to cover and very little time left to do so."

After seating himself, Cain pressed a button on his comm panel and spoke.

"Colonel, you can bring in the safe box now."

Tolan's voice could be heard responding, "Yes sir!"

Cain then looked at those same three men that only a short time ago had accepted a mission that could not only change the future of the war and mankind, but change the future of the whole galaxy.

"Gentlemen, as you know, the fleet is preparing to depart for Molocay. We'll be leaving spacedock by the end of the secton. I called you here to give you your orders and all the other pertinent information you'll need for your upcoming mission." Cain explained to them.

"I've had everything put on specially encoded infodisks. Each set of these disks contains all the information you should need, navigation, communication codes and frequencies, a complete list of the ships and personnel that will be with you, schematics and specifications for the facilities and the ships you'll be building, and a top secret list of contacts. This is to be used only in an emergency. You three will be the only ones with access to this list, is this understood?"

All three nodded and replied with a loud, "YES SIR!"

The entry buzzer sounded and at Cain's acknowledgment, Colonel Tolan entered carrying a metal box with a touch pad on the top. Tolan placed the box on the desk in front of Cain and then took his usual place behind and to the right of Cain's seat. Cain tapped in a seven digit code on the touch pad. The status lights on the pad switched from red to green and an audible "click" could be heard as the locking mechanism disengaged and the lid slide back. Cain reached inside and retrieved three small, boxes. He took each in turn and read off the name of the person it was meant for. Each of the three accepted the box given them and returned to their seats.

Cain then began to explain what was expected of them.

"Gentlemen, inside those boxes you'll find all the information you'll need. Each disk is numbered and is encoded so they can only be played at the appropriate time, so be especially sure to check your ship chronometers before leaving spacedock." He told them.

"The first of the four disks are the same for all three of you. They contain information concerning navigation, communications, and other mission specific information. The second disk contains schematics and specifications on the projects you will be working on. You'll have time to familiarize yourselves with all this information before you reach your facilities."

Commander Verga sat looking at the four disks and asked Cain, "How will we know when to listen to each disk?"

Cain looked at Verga and explained, "The three of you will depart with the fleet as planned. You'll take up positions at the rear of the formation, sort of a rear guard."

All three commanders nodded there heads as they listened.

"When we come to the point of departure, I'll send you a message to check on a near by planetary system, this will give you a reason to leave the formation without arousing any suspicion. Then, upon departure from the fleet, you will each place disk number one into the main computer interface and download it into the computer main frame. This will place all your initial navigation and communications information into the computer, then all you need to do is switch over to computer control. The computer will take it from there; all you'll have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride. When the time comes to listen to the next disk, the computer will let you know."

"So this will all be automated then?" asked Raylac.

"Only the first part of your journey will be run by the computers." Cain replied. "After that, you'll follow the instructions on the disks"

All three commanders nodded their heads, understanding Cain's explanation.

"Any more questions?" Cain asked.

Bannon glanced at his comrades, then with a bit of a smirk on his face asked, "I don't suppose you'd like to tell us where it is your sending us off to, would you Commander?"

Cain smiled and chuckled a little at this.

"Sorry Commander, but that information is classified. You'll learn your final destination once you listen to disk three, not before!"

"I kinda figured as much, but I had to ask!" Bannon said with a laugh.

"Anything else?" Cain asked again.

When no questions were forthcoming, Cain stepped around his desk and one by one, clasped wrists with each man and said his farewells.

As the three men exited his office, Cain said after them, "Good luck gentlemen, I'll come see how things are progressing after we take care of this business at Molocay!"

After the three officers left, Cain stood there staring after them for a few moments, lost in his own thoughts. Something didn't feel right, but he couldn't quite put a finger on what. Cain continued to muss over this when Colonel Tolan's voice interrupted his reflections.

"Commander, with your permission, I'll return to the bridge and continue preparations for our departure."

Cain had totally forgotten about his second in command being in the room still. He turned to face his X.O. and nodded his head, "Very well Colonel, carry on! I'll join you shortly."

"Yes sir." Replied the Colonel as he turned and made his way from the room.

Still somewhat lost in his own thoughts, Cain cleared the safe box from his desk. Something was bothering him, but was at a loss as to what it could be.

A short time later, Cain returned to the bridge of the Pegasus. As could be expected, it was still a picture of organized chaos. He ascended the steps to the command podium to find Colonel Tolan busy completing the last of the preparations for their departure. Unlike Cain, Tolan was a great administrator and actually seemed to enjoy it, where as Cain would rather be out in a Viper, blasting away at Cylons. Tolan spotted the Commander as he stepped onto the platform and walked over to him.

"Final preparations are almost complete Commander." Tolan reported.

"Good! Good! Have all ships stand by for departure." Cain said.

"Yes sir." Tolan replied, then turned to carry out his orders. Cain strode over to the rail of the podium and lean forward on the rail. He stood there watching his crew as they went about their last centon checks before departing the giant space docks. Looking up from the hustle and bustle of the crew below him, he gazed out the thru the huge main view port at the front of the bridge. There, in the vastness of space, one could see the multitudes of vessels that awaited the signal to set sail. Cain could see dozens of ships hanging in space or docked to the giant space station. Among those ships were the Battlestars Archimedes, Olympia, Polaris, Poseidon, and Thanos. Five mighty warships ready to meet and defeat a merciless enemy.

Also among the various ships of the Fifth Fleet were a half dozen old Battle Cruisers. Cain, unlike most of the other fleet commanders, loved these old warships. Though somewhat slower and smaller then the Gunstars, they still packed a great deal of firepower, ranging from the over four hundred, twin barreled, anti-fighter laser turrets to the ultra powerful Mark V Pulse Laser Cannons that were the standard main batteries on every capital ship built in the colonies for the past four hundred yahren. Like the Gunstars, the old Battle Cruisers were basically large gun platforms made to provide massive firepower in both its role as an escort for the fleet Battlestars, as it was for the large Star Carriers before them, and as front line attack vessels. It was in this role the Battle Cruisers four huge lasers and twenty solinite missiles were most useful.

Other ships were visible as well, tankers, supply freighters, escort destroyers, even a gargantuan fleet repair ship were there. All waiting for his command to get underway. It was a heady position he held. All that firepower at his command. Cain often thought that if the damn politicians would stay out of things and let the warriors do what was needed, the war with the Cylons would have been over centuries ago.

"Damn politicians!" Cain said under his breath.

"Excuse me sir?"

The voice of Colonel Tolan brought his thoughts back to things at hand. Tolan was looking somewhat confused by Cain's last statement.

"What is it Colonel?" Cain asked somewhat perturbed at being overheard.

"Incoming message from Central Command sir." Tolan replied.

"Alright Colonel, I'll take it here." Cain said a bit more civil this time.

Cain walked over to his command station where the duty bridge officer brought up the message from the Central Command. On the small video screen, the face of Senior Admiral Larson appeared. The admiral was of middle age, perhaps just over a hundred yahren. His brown hair showed just a touch of gray at the temples. He wore a neatly trimmed mustache below a patrician nose and obsidian black eyes.

"Greetings Commander, what's your status for departure?" asked the Admiral.

"All units report ready and standing by sir. Awaiting final confirmation." replied Cain.

"Good! Glad to hear it. What about Genesis?" the admiral asked.

Cain cast an irritated glance at the young bridge officer seated at the console, then back at the monitor.

"Everything has been taken care of Admiral!" came Cain's terse response.

"Very well Commander, as soon as you're ready, you are granted permission to depart. May the Lords of Kobal watch over you and all those who serve you." said the Admiral.

"Thank you sir. Pegasus out!" Cain replied as the connection was terminated.

Cain stood there for a moment looking at the blank screen, shaking his head.

"Unbelievable" he muttered to himself.

"Sir?" asked the young bridge officer, not knowing if Cain had been speaking to him or not.

Cain turned his gaze to the young man, Captain Mavin, with a very concerned look on his face.

"Captain!" Cain said, an unmistakable harshness in his voice.

"Yes sir!" Captain Mavin said, raising his eyes from his console to meet Cain's and instantly wishing he was somewhere else when he saw the look in those volcanic blue eyes.

Cain stepped closer to the young officer and lowered his voice so that Mavin was the only one that could hear him.

"Captain, you are not to repeat ANYTHING, not a single word of my conversation with the admiral to anyone, IS THAT CLEAR?" Cain said in a voice that could freeze a mans blood.

Mavin's eyes grew wide with fright as he sat frozen by the Commanders icy stare.

"Y-y-yes sir! Understood sir!" Mavin managed to stutter in response.

"Carry on!" Cain said as he walked over to where Colonel Tolan stood. Mavin's eye's fell back to his console, but he was still too shaken to focus on his instruments. All he could think about was what was it he supposedly heard and why was it so important.

Cain stepped up next to Colonel Tolan, who was making some last micron checks of the fleet.

"I can't believe Admiral Larson could be so foolish as to mention Genesis on an open channel like that! What in Kobal was he thinking?" Cain said hotly. "He could jeopardize the whole project."

Colonel Tolan just nodded his head and said nothing.

"What's our status for departure Colonel?" Cain asked, a bit calmer.

"All ships report ready, just awaiting your orders sir." Tolan told his commanding officer.

Cain walked over to the command console and placed his headset on. After making sure he was plugged into the comm system, Cain began to speak.

"Onboard the Pegasus, this is Commander Cain. Stand by to leave spacedock. Helm, release docking cramps and clear all umbilicals."

The helmsman acknowledged and repeated back the orders. With the flip of a few switches, the huge docking clamps released their hold on the Pegasus and all the various cables and conduits were disconnected and fell away.

"Docking clamps released. All lines are clear. We are now free to navigate sir." the helmsman reported.

"Very good, ahead slow. Once you clear the spacedock, proceed on course one nine five delta by zero one six theta." Cain ordered.

Again the helmsman acknowledged and repeated back the orders as he set the controls to comply.

Now free of her restraints, the Pegasus began slowly to move forward, away from the giant spacedock and back into the cold embrace of space. This is where she belonged, not tied to a dock, but soaring between the stars!

As the great ship cleared the spacedock and turned to her course, Cain flipped the switch on the command console comm system so he could speak to all the ships of the fleet.

"Attention all hands, attention! This is Commander Cain. We are about to embark on an important mission. The lives of every man, woman, and child in the colonies could rely on our success during this mission. We've faced tougher challenges then this and won the day, I have no doubt that we shall do so again. All I ask of you is that you do your duty as you always have in the past. Stand by to get underway."

Cain flipped off the fleet wide frequency and switched on the fleet command and control frequency.

"Cain to all ships, form up on the Pegasus. Standard formation…….. Execute!"

With the order given, all the ships of the Fifth Fleet, two hundred fifty five in all, moved into their pre-assigned positions and began to move forward. Cain watched on the ships scanners as the ships of the fleet fell into position. Once the last of them was tucked into place, the Gunstars Hyperion, Phoenix, and Titan, Cain gave the order to increase speed and start the long journey to Molocay…… and destiny!


	3. Project Genisis

Battlestar Galactica

Past, Present, Future.

Chapter Three

Project Genesis

The vastness of space seemed to stretch on forever. Time also seemed to go on indefinitely. This is the part Cain hated.

The waiting.

He wanted to have the battle start as soon as he finished his planning; he wanted to watch as everything unfolded before him just as he had drawn it up. To see victory achieved swiftly and completely. That was the way he wanted it, but it was not to be. The journey to Molocay would take all of five sectars at fleet normal speed. Even if he could run the distance at light speed, it would still take two to three sectons. All he could do was wait.

They were only one sectar into the journey when Colonel Tolan walked up to Cain as he sat at the command console, going over some fuel consumption reports.

"Excuse me commander, but it's almost time sir." Tolan said.

Cain leaned back from the stack of reports, rubbing his eyes.

"Time? Time for what Colonel?" Cain said, somewhat confused as to what Tolan was referring to.

Tolan looked around for a moment, then leaned down, and in a voice only Cain could hear and said, "Genesis"

Cain looked at his first officer, comprehension registering.

"Thank you Colonel, I'd almost forgotten." Cain said as he restacked the numerous reports laid out before him. "I'll be in my quarters Colonel, you have the bridge!"

"Yes sir." Tolan replied as Cain picked up the reports and left the bridge.

Cain arrived at his quarters a few centons later. He punched in the security code and the door swished open. Cain entered quickly, tossing the reports into a tray on the corner of his desk. He went to the shelves behind the desk and pressed two well hidden buttons. These released a door that covered a wall safe. Cain entered a code on the touch pad, and a series of clicks told him that the safe was unlocked. Cain swung open the door of the safe and removed a black folder and a small metal box. He closed the safe door and the hidden door, making sure both were secure, then he took the two items from the safe and placed them on the desk. He then took his seat, glancing at the chronometer on the opposite wall.

Still a few centons to go.

Cain opened the black folder and thumbed thru a few of the pages. He found the one he was looking for and looked it over carefully. He checked the chronometer again. It seemed for a moment that the thing had stopped, but it was still counting down the microns. He looked back to the file again. This was one of only three hard copies of the entire Genesis Project. The page he consulted now was a timetable of every event and important happening dealing with the project. Looking down the page, Cain found the place on the schedule that dealt with this particular time. Confirming that he was on schedule, Cain replaced the time schedule in the black folder and looked at the chronometer once more. There were only a few microns left. Cain switched on his comm system and entered his security code. After a moment, the secured link between the Pegasus and the three Gunstars was locked in and the faces of Verga, Bannon, and Raylac filled the screen.

"Greetings gentlemen, right on time I see." Cain said cheerily.

"Did you expect anything else sir?" Bannon joked.

Cain smiled at the small jest, but then he became serious as important matters needed to be taken care of.

"Gentlemen, it's time for us to part company. In twenty centons, you will make your departure and start out on a heading of three two four beta by one five one iota. You'll stay on that heading for exactly four centars, then you'll engage the computer navigation system and let it take control. It will take you where you need to go."

"And where might that be Commander?" Raylac asked.

Cain looked at the young Commander for a moment. He really needed to become more disciplined. In time he would Cain guessed.

"You'll be given that information when the time is right Commander." Cain said somewhat scolding. "As for now, you need to prepare for your breakaway from the fleet. I wish I could give you more information, but you'll learn everything you need to know in due time. Now, get going, and may the Lords of Kobol watch over you. Good luck gentlemen, I'll see you soon."

With that, Cain cut the transmission. They were on there own now. He had the utmost confidence in his men's ability to carry out this most critical mission, but for some unknown reason, Cain felt that he would never see any of them again.

As the time on the chronometer ticked off, Commander Verga began to pace slowly about the bridge. Normally, he was a picture of calm, but for some reason, he felt very edgy now.

"Just having to wait so long." He thought to himself.

Verga was about to sit down in his command chair when his communications officer called to him.

"Commander, I have an incoming message from the Pegasus." The young woman said.

Finally Verga thought. "I'll take it here." He said as he reached her position. She pressed a few buttons and the face of Commander Cain filled the screen.

"Commander Verga, we've picked up some unusual readings from a star cluster bearing three two four beta by one five one iota. I'd like you to take two ships from the rear guard and investigate."

"Will do Commander. I'll take the Hyperion and the Phoenix with me." Verga replied, playing along.

"Excellent! Report back to me as soon as you find anything. Pegasus out!"

As the screen went blank, Verga told the young communications officer to contact the Hyperion and Phoenix and have them fall in on the Titan. The message was soon passed along and acknowledged and just like clock work, twenty centons after Cain contacted them the first time, the three Gunstars at the trailing end of the fleet peeled off from the main body and began their trek across the heavens to an as yet unknown destination.

For the next four centars, the three ships sailed on at fleet normal speed as per the instructions they were given. As the time neared for them to turn over navigation and helm control to the computer, Verga signaled the other two ships.

"I don't know if we'll be able to contact each other once we turn things over to the computers, so I wanted to give you all one last call. This is the last chance we have to turn back, so if either of you has any doubts about this, now's the time to say something."

Raylac chimed in right away, "I don't have any problem with this. I'm looking forward to it."

"How about you Bannon? Any thoughts about calling it quits?" Verga asked.

"No, I think Raylac's right. This will change the whole balance of power in this war. We have to go thru with this. How about you?"

Verga thought about it for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I have some doubts, but I'm a warrior and I'll do my duty to the best of my ability. Besides, if we can pull this thing together and make it work, it could mean the difference between winning and losing the war. So I'm in."

The others nodded their approval, understanding exactly what he meant.

"Alright then, it's settled." Bannon said. "Let's do this."

"Agreed!" Verga said. "Switch over to computer control in two centons. Good luck gentlemen."

"You too Commander." Raylac said and signed off.

Bannon just gave Verga a quick nod and said, "See ya soon Commander." And was gone.

Verga got up from his seat and went over to the main computer control station on the bridge, he pulled on his head set and flipped the switch to the ships comm system, where he let the crew of the Titan know what was about to happen.

"Attention all hands. This is Commander Verga. In one centon I will be turning over helm and navigational control of the Titan to the computer per Commander Cain's orders. From this point, all communications with the colonies and the fleet will be severed. We will be on our own! The mission we have undertaken could quite possibly make the difference whether we win or lose the war with the Cylons. At this time, I can't tell you any more then that. At this time I need the helm and navigation stations to switch over from manual control to computer control. I'll pass along any new information as is allowed. Carry on!"

When he received confirmation that all helm and navigation systems had been switched over, Verga watched the ship chronometer click off the microns. When the chronometer hit the appointed time, Verga hit the switch to initiate the computer program Cain had given him.

Immediately, the ship heeled over to starboard slightly and increased speed to full. Verga was not sure where they were headed, be he knew they were going to be getting there as fast as was possible.

Even at top speed, it took the three Gunstars over four sectars before they reached the point in space they were intended. During the journey, all three ship commanders had ample time to listen to and study all the information on the infodisks they had been given by Commander Cain. Verga had to admit, Cain HAD pretty much thought of everything. There were sections dealing with every facet of the project and the operation of the facilities, Schedules for production and supply, he even had a complete list of personnel that would be assigned there to build the ships and operate the refinery. It truly was a logistical masterpiece.

Verga was sitting in his usual place on the bridge, at the command console, when the ship finally began to slow down. Everyone on the bridge noticed this immediately and went to work checking their stations for any kind of malfunction. Verga looked at the chronometer and knew that this was a part of the computer program and that they would find the next piece of the puzzle very soon.

"Helmsmen, I believe you'll find that you now have full control of the ship now." Verga addressed the man at the helm. The officer checked his instruments and confirmed that he did indeed have helm control.

Verga smiled slightly and then ordered, "Continue along this course at fleet normal speed. Ensign Jax, begin scanning along this heading, I believe before long we'll have company."

Ensign Jax acknowledged the order and began her scanning. It wasn't long before she picked up something at extreme range.

"Commander, I have multiple contacts dead ahead. They're at extreme range so identification is not as yet possible."

"Should we alert the other ships and launch a squadron to investigate sir?" asked Colonel Sachs, the Titan's executive officer.

"No Colonel, I'm sure Bannon and Raylac are aware of them." Verga said with a smile. "We've been expecting them"

Colonel Sachs looked at his commanding officer a bit perplexed, but accepted this as true. He had served as exec of the Titan for three yahren now and had learned to trust Commander Verga.

Verga watched the forward view port as they approached the unidentified ships. Ensign Jax broke the silence again.

"Sir, I've been able to identify those contacts. They're Colonial.

Mostly large cargo transports and tankers, good Lords of Kobol but there's a lot of them!" The young officer said. "Looks like they have military escorts, I count about two score escort destroyers, Defender class."

Verga leaned forward in his seat; he hadn't expected so many vessels to be with the supply convoy.

"Comms, try and contact the lead ship. Let them know were here." Verga ordered.

"I believe they already know sir." Said the communications officer, Lieutenant Barba, "They're contacting us."

"Very well Lieutenant, put them thru to my station." Verga said.

Almost immediately, the face of dark skinned man appeared on the monitor. He was an older man, though not as old as Verga, but still of middle yahren. His hair was black with a slight peppering of white beginning to encroach here and there. Wide set, brown eyes and a rugged, square jaw made him quite an imposing figure. Verga knew the man's face, but could not put a name with it.

"This is Colonel Eller of the Colonial Destroyer Guardian. Identify yourself and state your purpose please."

Verga was still unsure where he had meet this "Colonel Eller", he only knew that he had meet him somewhere before. He assumed he would remember in time.

"Colonel Eller, this is Commander Verga of the Gunstar Titan. I believe you've been expecting us."

The face on the screen did not change expression, but the challenging tone did soften somewhat.

"Commander Verga, nice to see you again sir, it's been a long time." Eller said. "I wasn't told it would be you I was rendezvousing with."

"Yes, Cain was a little stingy with the information. He didn't mention that there would be so many ships in this convoy, nor a whole squadron of Destroyers escorting them either." Verga replied, still not knowing from where he knew this man.

"With your permission sir, I'd like to shuttle over to your ship and go over my orders and the transfer of this convoy." Eller said.

"By all means Colonel, I look forward to meeting you. I'll have the Commanders of the other two ships join us here on the Titan, say in forty centons!" Verga said.

A strange expression passed over Eller's face, only for a micron, then it was gone.

"Yes sir, forty centons, I'll be there. Guardian out!"

The face on the monitor faded. Verga sat quietly for a moment staring at the blank screen. "Where have I seen that man before?" he asked himself. Nothing rung a bell.

Verga turned to the communications officer and told her to contact both Bannon and Raylac and have them join him and Colonel Eller aboard the Titan in thirty centons.

Forty centons later, the small shuttlecraft landed in the bay aboard the Titan. It came to a halt a dozen metrons from where Colonel Sachs stood waiting. The hatch slid open and out came two people. The first was a rather tall, muscular man with dark skin in the command uniform of a Colonel carrying a small case. The other was a tall blond haired woman in the brown and tan uniform of a Viper pilot. They approached Sachs, stopping several steps from him. Both officers came to attention and saluted. Sachs returned the salute and then stepped forward to clasp wrists with Colonel Eller.

"Colonel Eller, I'm Colonel Sachs, exec aboard the Titan. I'll be escorting you to the Commanders quarters." Sachs said. He turned to the female warrior and asked, "And you are…."

The woman glanced at Colonel Eller, who nodded, then back to Sachs.

"My name is Major Hawley. I'm the exec aboard the Guardian."

"I see, I wasn't aware you would be joining the Colonel." Sachs said.

"Is that a problem Colonel?" Eller asked.

"I'm not sure, that's something you'll have to ask the Commander." Sachs said looking at Colonel Hawley.

Eller and Hawley exchanged a quick look. Colonel Sachs asked the pair to follow him to the Commanders quarters.

As they entered Commander Verga's Quarters, all eyes quickly fell on the Major. It was obvious her presence was not expected. Colonel Eller and Major Hawley came to attention in front of Commander Verga and saluted. After a slight hesitation, he returned the salute. He looked from Eller to Hawley and then asked, "I don't recall asking anyone except for yourself to attend this meeting Colonel. Would you mind explaining who this young women is and why she's here."

"My apologies Commander, I didn't realize this would be a closed meeting. This is my executive officer, Major Hawley.

Verga leaned back in his chair and nodded, contemplating this.

"I guess there's no harm in her being here." Verga said. "You do understand that what is said here is to be kept totally confidential, don't you Major!"

"I am well aware of standard security protocols sir." Hawley said, somewhat defensively.

Verga expression darkened slightly at her tone, but said nothing, instead turning back to Colonel Eller.

"I think we should take care of the transfer of command first Colonel, do you have the transfer orders with you?" Verga said.

Colonel Eller pulled a group of papers from the case he was carrying and handed them to Commander Verga. Verga thumbed thru these for a moment then handed them to Commander Bannon, who sat in a chair in front of Verga's desk. He looked back to Eller and asked, "From what I saw in those orders, you and your squadron have been placed under my command as well, is that right Colonel?"

"Yes sir, after turning over control of this convoy to you, I and my destroyer squadron are to accompany you to your destination and once there, we are to begin sentry and patrol duties as you see fit till we are relieved." Eller told him.

"This convoy, what all does it consist of Colonel?" asked Bannon.

Eller turned to face Bannon and began to describe the makeup of the convoy.

"As it say's there in the orders sir, we are to transfer control of this convoy over to Commander Verga's command. The convoy itself consists of in part of; two hundred seventy cargo freighters of various types and cargos, thirty of the "Traveler" class personnel transports, sixty solium tankers, one hundred thirty water tankers, forty agroships, thirty four livestock ships, fifty five industrial ships and of course, the twenty four Destroyers of my squadron. All together, six hundred forty three ships and one hundred fourteen thousand personnel." Eller finished.

Verga leaned forward in his chair, a look of surprise on his face. Bannon almost dropped the papers he was reading. Raylac shook his head in disbelief.

"You mean to tell me you have over six hundred ships and a hundred thousand people in that convoy?" Raylac said, not truly comprehending the enormity of it.

"That would be correct sir." Eller said.

"Where in Hades did they all come from…." Raylac continued. "and what are they all doing here?'

"They're the people who are going to build those Battlestars sir." Eller said somewhat amused by the senior officer's attitude. "Commander Cain and those associated with this project have been recruiting people for over two yahren."

"I see you're already aware of what it is we're doing here Colonel." Commander Bannon said.

"Yes sir, Commander Cain gave me several infodisks that basically explained the mission, at least up to this point and time." Eller told him. "The rest he said would be explained by you sir." He said to Commander Verga.

Verga nodded his head. "So you have no idea as to where were heading Colonel?" he asked.

"No sir, the infodisks make no reference as to where this base is or in which direction to proceed. They only gave us directions to this rendezvous point and a general overview of the project and our responsibilities once we reach the base."

Verga nodded his head again. "I see! Well Colonel, it would seem that Cain wanted to keep this base, shipyard, or whatever you want to call it as secret as possible since I have no directions either."

Colonel Eller looked at him with a confused look on his face, the first real emotion he had shown since his arrival.

"How are we suppose to find this base if there are no directions to it sir?" Eller asked.

Verga smiled at the slight show of emotion by Colonel Eller. The man had been stony faced since he arrived.

"Not to fear Colonel, Cain has left us directions to the new shipyard. It's in an encrypted disk that has been navigating the Titan since we left the Fifth Fleet. Once we re-engage the computer system, it will take us to the shipyard. You and the rest of the convoy ships will simply follow us."

"I see. And when will we be resuming the journey sir." Eller asked.

Verga looked over to Commander Bannon, who simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "Everything seems in order as far as the paperwork is concerned. I see no reason to delay our departure Commander."

Verga nodded and looked back to Eller.

"How soon before you can have the convoy ready to move?"

Eller thought for a micron, then said, "I can have all ships prepared to move out in a centar or less. I'll just need enough time to let all the ship masters know what's going on and do their systems checks."

"Good! Then let's get this journey started." Verga said "Colonel, inform the ships of the convoy we move out in one centar. Report to me as soon as you get conformations from all ships. I also want one of those tankers to top off the fuel cells of our Gunstars as well as any other ships that need refueling."

"All the ships in the convoy have already been topped off sir, and we have a tanker standing by to refuel your ships, just awaiting your approval." Eller said.

Verga was impressed; Eller had already taken care of the refueling operations. Once that was completed, they would be on their way.

"Very good Colonel, commence refueling of the Gunstars immediately. That shouldn't take too long."

"I'll take care of it right away sir." Eller said as he came to attention and saluted. As he and the Major began to leave, Commander Verga asked Eller to stay a moment. He then turned to Bannon and Raylac, "Gentlemen, if you'll excuse us, I'd like to speak with the Colonel alone for a moment."

"We'll go prepare for the refueling sir." Bannon said. With that, Verga and Eller were left alone in the room.

"Colonel, I've been trying to remember where it is we've meet before, but I can't seem to think of it. We have met before, haven't we?"

Eller's face softened into a slight smile.

"Yes sir, we've met before. A long time ago. We served together on the Octavia sir." Eller told him.

"The Octavia! That was a long time ago." Verga said.

"Yes sir, I had just been assigned there, fresh out of the academy, just before the Octavia left for the Ta' Prea system. You were Captain of Silver Saber Squadron and you made me your wingmate for that patrol. You left the Octavia as soon as we returned to Caprica and I never saw you again. My condolences on the loss of your family sir." Eller said, the last with deep regret in his voice.

Verga's face had lost some of its color. It all suddenly came rushing back to him. His old friend and longtime wingmate, Salas, leaving for his new assignment as wing commander aboard the Battlestar Prometheus, the fresh faced kid reporting aboard for his first assignment, it all came back.

"I'll be damned, I remember you now! Lords, whats it been, twenty five, thirty yahren?"

"Thirty three sir!" Eller said.

Verga shook his head, thirty three yahren. Where had all the time gone?

"And here you are, a Destroyer squadron commander. I thought you would have tried for a Battlestar command, not a Destroyer."

"I thought about it for awhile, but my father was a Destroyer commander, as was my grandfather, and his father before him. My family has always served aboard Destroyers so it just seemed natural for me to follow suit." Eller told him. "I even have three sons and a daughter serving on Destroyers."

"Are any of them with you on this mission? Verga asked.

"No sir, two of my boys are with Commander Cain, the third is an instructor at the academy and my daughters on a ship in the First Fleet." Eller said.

"Well Colonel, once we get this program up and running, there's going to be a lot of opportunities for Battlestar commands, maybe you'll get one."

"Eller laughed a bit and said, "I guess anything is possible Commander."

Verga chuckled too. Then he got back to business.

"Well Colonel, it's good to have you here. We'll have to get together after we get this shipyard up and running to discuss the Octavia, but right now, we have work to do. Go inform the ship masters what will be happening and when we'll be departing. We'll talk again soon."

"Yes sir." Eller said as Verga reached out to clasp wrists with his old comrade. With that Eller departed to take care of his business.

Good to his word, Colonel Eller reported all ships ready to get underway in less then a centar. Commander Verga smiled at the man's punctuality. Verga then checked in with Commanders Bannon and Raylac. Both reported that their ships fuel cells had been topped off by a tanker from the convoy and were ready to go. After checking with his own crew, everything was ready. Verga put on his headset and switched on the prearranged frequency for this "fleet" of ships and began to speak.

"Attention in the fleet, this is Commander Verga. We are about to resume our journey. All ships should at this time be tied in to the Titan's navigation controls and will automatically follow along with us to our final destination. If you experience any trouble from this point, contact the Titan immediately. Commander Bannon and the Phoenix will be bringing up the rear of the fleet and will assist all those who need it. I don't know how long our journey will be, nor do I know where we are heading. I can only tell you that this mission can and most likely will determine the outcome of the war with the Cylons. If there are no questions, then let us continue the journey."

Verga switched off the comm unit and ordered the helmsman to take them out on their previous course at slow speed until all ships were in position and standby to engage the navigation computer. The Titan began moving forward slowly, taking position at the head of the fleet of freighters, tankers, transports, and other ships. The twenty four Destroyers of Colonel Eller's squadron took up positions on all sides of the fleet. The Hyperion settled into a position in the center of the fleet while the Phoenix took its place at the rear of the massive formation. Once all ships had reported that they were in position and their links to the Titan's navigation computer were active, Verga gave the order to engage the computer. The helmsman switched over the helm to the computer and almost immediately, the entire fleet began to accelerate. The speed leveled off at about two thirds and held steady.

Verga looked around the bridge, satisfied that everything was running properly, he sat back in his command chair and watched the stars go by.

After six centars on the same course, the Titan began a turn to starboard. Verga asked the scanner operator to check on the fleet, making sure all ships were still in position and that the uplink was functioning properly. Ensign Jax reported that all ships had made the course correction and that the link was still intact with all ships.

Staring out at the stars as they passed by, Verga wondered how long it would be before they reached their destination. Only time would tell.


	4. Welcome to Phantom Base

Battlestar Galactica

Past, Present, Future.

Chapter Four

Welcome to Phantom Base

The journey to the new shipyard was much longer then anyone could have imagined. It took the fleet of transports, tankers, freighters, supply and industrial ships over eleven sectars to reach their destination. For the first part of the trip, the people of the fleet were able to keep apprised of events back in the colonies via sub space transmissions they intercepted, but these soon ended once they were out of range of the farthest relay stations of the colonies. From that point on, they were totally isolated. This was something that some people were not prepared for.

"Commander, I have another report of trouble aboard one of the transports. Seems they had another fight that turned ugly, two dead and three others injured. The ships master reports his security has the instigators in custody but has no place to hold them. He's asking to use the brig on the Titan until they can face tribuneral."

Commander Verga shook his head in disgust; this was the third incident of this nature in the past secton. Unfortunately, it was not the first to end with fatalities either. Four other fights had escalated into terminations since the fleet lost contact with the colonies. If they didn't reach their destination soon, they could end up with full scale anarchy in the fleet.

"Very well, have Captain Alyea take a security detail over to the transport and bring the prisoners back. We'll add them to the list of cases to face tribuneral once we arrive at the shipyard."

Looking to his exec, Verga asked, "How many does that make now Colonel?"

Colonel Sachs looked up from his work and said with a grim expression, "I believe we're up to seventeen cases so far including four for unlawful terminations. I think it's going to get a lot worse if we don't get our people off these ships soon sir. These civilian are just not use to being in space for this length of time like warriors are."

Verga nodded his head in agreement. "You're right Colonel, but we don't really have much choice in the matter. Until we arrive at the………."

Just then the Titan began to slow down. All personnel on the bridge began checking their stations for any malfunctions or other indications of trouble. When all stations reported that all systems were normal, Verga asked for confirmation on the fleet's position. Ensign Jax made a quick scan of the fleet and reported that all ships had answered the computer's command to come to slow speed.

"Very well, Lieutenant Barba, begin scanning for the homing beacon on the frequency you were given." Verga ordered.

"Yes sir, I'm already on it." the young woman said as she worked her instruments. After a few moments, she smiled and said, "I have it sir, bearing straight ahead."

"Excellent! Helm, continue on this course, ahead half speed. Colonel, pass the word to all ships to follow us." Verga ordered.

"Sir, I'm picking up a signal on fleet comm line Beta." Called Barba. "It's coming from the same direction as the homing signal."

Verga and Sachs looked at one another in astonishment. Who could have known that they were there?

"Can you identify who the signal is coming from Lieutenant?" Verga asked.

"Negative sir, there is no identification code with the signal, but it is a Colonial signal and it seems to be directed right at us! It has a very narrow beam." Barba told him.

Verga pondered this for a moment. Obviously, whoever this was knew they were there and was able to use restricted military communication frequencies. Could it be their first contact with the new shipyard? If so, who would be there sending them a message? And how did they know exactly where and when to transmit such a tight beam? All very good questions and only one way to find the answers.

Verga went to his station and put his head set on. He motioned for Colonel Sachs to do the same.

"Lieutenant, pass the word to the Phoenix, Hyperion, and Guardian to tap in to this signal, I may want their input." Verga ordered.

Once Barba had done so and all those requested were online, Verga told Barba to open the channel. What was heard would amaze them all.

"Phantom control to Titan, come in please. Titan this is Phantom control, do you copy? I know you're out there, please respond."

A voice called, somewhat casually.

Verga looked at Sachs and shrugged in confusion.

"Phantom control, this is the Colonial Gunstar Titan, Commander Verga speaking. To whom am I addressing? Please identify yourself." Verga challenged.

There was a moment's pause before another voice was heard.

"Phantom control to Titan, this is Colonel Leon, commanding officer of the Fifth Construction Division and current commander of this facility. We've been expecting you Commander." came the reply.

"Have you now? Am I to assume that "Phantom" is the designation for this facility?" Verga asked.

"That's the name Cain gave us to use Commander. I'm not sure why, but it seems to work alright!" Colonel Leon said rather jovially.

"I see, and what is the status of the base there? Is it operational?" Verga asked.

"Yes sir. Everything is ready for your people to start building. We're just putting the finishing touches on a few things. We should have those done within a sectar." Leon said.

"What sort of things are you putting these "touches" on Colonel?" Verga asked.

"Oh, nothing too important really, we need to finish off Dock number five, and there's a couple of things in the propulsion assembly building that need to be done, and a couple of the housing compounds need finishing."

"Sounds like you have quite a bit to do before we can start building Colonel. What about the other facilities? The refinery and the Viper production plant?"

"The refinery is right on schedule sir. All systems were tested just this morning and everything checked out fine. The first phase of storage tanks are done and the second and third are almost there, should have them ready in about a secton. As for the Viper plant, she's all set; all four lines are ready to go. You should be able to turn out at least a thousand of each type of fighter within a secton." Colonel Leon told him. "Oh, and the missile plant is ready to roll too!"

"What missile plant?" Verga asked, not remembering anything about a missile plant in the plans he had.

"It's where their going to be building Solinite missiles for the Battlestars sir. It was in the plans anyway." Colonel Leon said, sounding a bit confused.

"I don't remember seeing any plans for a missile plant Colonel, where exactly is this plant?" Verga asked.

"We built it on a separate asteroid, well away from the other facilities just in case there was a……… a problem." Leon told him.

Verga was not aware of this new development. Perhaps it was something that Cain had wanted to build and decided against later, but forgot to tell his construction people, after all, they had been out there for over three yahren.

"I see, well I guess we'll deal with that when we arrive, thou I must admit, I have no idea as to when that will be." Verga said.

"We have your position as being approximately two sectons out at present speed Commander." Colonel Leon said.

Verga was astonished. How could they know that? Not even the scanners of the Planetary Defense Command on Caprica had that kind of range.

"Tell me Colonel, how is it you knew we were here and how far away we are?" Verga asked.

There was a slight laugh on the line, then Leon spoke, "That sir is classified, but it'll be explained to you when you arrive."

"I'm looking forward to it. Titan out!" Verga said, a bit more harshly then he intended.

"Sounds like we don't have as much information about this project as we thought." Bannon said on the commlink.

"It would seem not Commander!" Verga said. "Evidently, Cain didn't want to put all his mushies in one basket. Looks like he gave each person just enough of the puzzle to do their part until everyone was together, then all the puzzle parts could be put together to form the full picture."

"So what do we do now Commander?" asked Raylac.

"We follow along this course until we reach our destination." Verga said with a heavy sigh. "Until then gentlemen, we procede as we have. I'll make an announcement to the fleet letting them know that the end of this journey is now in sight. Maybe that will calm things down and alleviate some of the violence we've been having."

"Sounds like a good plan to me. I for one am looking forward to getting off this ship for awhile." said Bannon.

"As are we all Commander, as are we all." Verga said.

With that, all the ship commanders signed off.

For the next two sectons, the fleet proceeded along the course of the homing beacon. Tensions in the fleet greatly decreased with the knowledge that their journeys end was now in site. Preparations for disembarking and unloading all the various equipment and cargo were underway on every ship.

On the Titan, Commander Verga was going over some of the never-ending stream of reports that were forwarded to him from every ship in the fleet. It was one of his least favorite duties, but a necessary one….. or so he continued to tell himself. It was then that a call from the scanner officer mercifully called him away from this tedious job.

"Commander, I have a ship on long range scanners." Ensign Jax said.

"Identify." Verga ordered.

Jax worked her controls to try and get a confirmed identification from the ships "War Book" data base. After a moment, she was able to get a positive ID.

"Sir, the War Book has it as a Colonial Frigate, Intrepid class."

"Must be an escort sir." Colonel Sachs said as he walked over to the Commanders position.

Verga nodded his head in agreement. To his communications officer he said, "Lieutenant Barba, open a channel to that ship for me."

Barba did so as Verga placed his headset on. Once the channel was open, Verga tried to contact the ship.

"This is Commander Verga of the Colonial Gunstar Titan. Please identify yourself and state your intentions!" he challenged.

After a moment, he received an answer.

"This is Major Orozo, commanding the Colonial Frigate Avian." The voice of a man said, almost happily. "I bid you greetings Commander. I've been sent to escort you and your fleet through the asteroid field to your staging area. Once there, your people will be able to disembark and begin off loading their equipment to the proper areas of the facilities."

"How long before we reach this staging area Major?" Verga asked.

"With a convoy of this size, it'll take awhile. It takes fifteen centars to make the trip thru the asteroid belt when you know the safe route and can run at one quarter speed, but with this many ships and the different size's and maneuvering abilities of each, it could take each ship over twenty centars to complete the trip." Orozo said.

Verga thought on this for a moment. To have all these ships sitting idle in space for so long was not something he wanted, especially after all the violence they had to deal with so far amongst the space weary civilians. He wanted to get them off these ships as soon as possible.

"Is there a faster way to reach this staging area Major?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not sir. This path was made like this intentionally for defensive reasons. It's meant to provide protection from any quick attacks from any undetected sources. If a ship tried to approach the base from any other direction, they would be destroyed by our defense systems." Orozo told him.

"How do you navigate the asteroid field Major? Is there some kind of beacon we follow?" Verga asked.

"No sir, each one of our patrol ships is downloaded with a copy of the pathway in its navigation computers. The computer is what takes us thru the asteroid belt." Orozo said, adding quickly, "and before you ask Commander, we can't download the program into your ships. The computer has a safeguard system that will alter the program if anyone try's to access it in any way other then the intended interface. From what I was told, the alteration will take a ship to the nearest defense system laser unit and it's destroyed."

Verga nodded his head, appreciating the safety systems employed around the new base. It would take a massive force to even reach the new shipyard, let alone attack and destroy it. But the question that needed answering now was how to get all these ships thru without taking a yahren to do it?

Then an idea came to him!

"Major, what if I was to follow you thru the asteroid field, keeping exact readings on the route we follow, then transmit them back to one of the other Gunstars via a secured frequency, then have each ship use that to transit the asteroid field? Do you think that would work?"

There were a few moments of silence as the Major thought about it. Then he came back on the line.

"I think it might work, but you'd have to make sure that your readings were extremely accurate as far as time traveled and rate of speed so no miscalculation could happen. You'd also have to account for the different sizes and maneuvering abilities of each ship so they didn't drift too far off the pathway or turn too soon or too late." Orozo said thoughtfully.

"We can make a base map of the route and have our computer make the necessary adjustments needed to work for each type of ship in the fleet." Verga speculated.

"It just might work Commander." Orozo said. "Of course it will still take us about fifteen centars to make the journey thru the asteroid field, so the sooner we get started the sooner we can try it out."

"Right you are Major. Let me explain what were going to do to my second in command and then we can be on our way." Verga told him.

"Alright Commander, I'll stand by for your signal. Avian out!"

After a brief explanation of his plan to Commanders Bannon and Raylac, Verga signaled Major Orozo on the Avian to lead the way. Slowly, the two ships entered the seemingly impenetrable wall of floating rocks, some the size of a large moon, and within a few microns, they had disappeared from sight. Commander Bannon had his scanner operator keep track of the two ships as best she could, but after less the ten centons, she had lost all contact with them. It was now up to Commander Verga to send back the information needed to get them all thru.

The way thru the asteroid field was one that would be extremely difficult to navigate even if one didn't have to worry about the defense systems that Major Orozo had told of. The path thru the asteroids was maintained by some kind of magnetic field, generated by small, yet very powerful electromagnetic generators placed in precise position by the Colonial engineers that had been working on this project for over three yahren. These generators were held in position by the electromagnetic fields they produced. They formed what was basically a tunnel thru the asteroid field. This was all according to Major Orozo.

Major Orozo himself had been at the base for over five yahren, first as part of the group of ships assigned to protect a group of scientist and surveyors that came here on some kind of "secret mission" for the Colonial Admiralty. Then he and the rest of their group were placed under the command of Colonel Leon and given the job of patrolling the asteroid belt and monitoring the space near there. It had been nearly six yahren since he had been home to Aeriana, but he hoped that once the base personnel finally arrived and took charge of the base, he and his group would be cut loose so as to return home for some much needed rest. But for now, he had a duty to perform and that was what he would do.

It took over sixteen centars, but finally the two ships emerged from the asteroid field into open space. Verga ordered his scanner operators to begin formatting the scans they had taken during the long and tedious voyage into a program that Commander Bannon could take and use to bring the rest of the fleet thru the asteroid field. He then had Lieutenant Jax begin a scan of the space around them. As the information from the scanners began to come in, a very interesting picture began to unfold. What seemed to be open space was in fact a relatively small area that was far less congested surrounded on all sides by the asteroid field. It was like being inside a triad sphere, solid all around and hollow inside. Verga wondered what could have caused such a thing. The only thing he could figure was that at some far distant time in the past, the asteroid field had once been a giant planet or star that had exploded and now formed this amazing area. As Jax continued her scans, Orozo lead them toward what Verga believed would be the center of the "sphere". Jax began picking up a large number of extremely large asteroids directly ahead. Verga looked at the scans and noticed that there were high power output readings coming from several of them. He began to smile.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have arrived!"

There were several cheers from the bridge crew and more then a few sighs of relief. Thru the celebrations, a voice came to Commander Verga's ears.

"Sir, incoming message. It's from the asteroid cluster ahead." Barba said.

Things quieted down on the bridge as Verga placed his headset back on. Barba switched the signal over to the Commanders station.

"Phantom control to Titan, do you read?" came the voice of Colonel Leon.

"This is Titan, nice to hear from you Colonel." Verga replied.

"Nice to see you made it thru sir. Welcome to Phantom Base and Shipyard Commander. I hope you'll find it to your liking." Leon said.

"I'm sure I will Colonel, but first I have to get the rest of my fleet thru the asteroid field so they can start unloading. According to Major Orozo, it's going to take a while." Verga said.

Colonel Leon gave a little laugh and said, "Well Commander, under normal circumstances it would take a very long time, but we had a little surprise set up for just this occasion. If you would care to shuttle down to the base commander center, I'd be happy to show you what it is I'm talking about."

"Very well Colonel, I'll be there in one centar." Verga said, curious as to what he had in mind. He turned to Colonel Sachs, "As soon as they finish with those scans, go ahead and send them to Commander Bannon. He'll need some time to do the modifications for the different ships before they can start moving thru the asteroid field."

"Yes sir, I'll take care of it. What do you think this Colonel Leon has in mind Commander?" Sachs asked.

Verga shook his head slightly and said, "I don't know Colonel, but I spent some time looking over the mans personnel record. He's a damn fine officer and a great innovator. He has made a career of doing the impossible. Why he commands a construction battalion is beyond me."

With that, Verga turned and left the bridge. After a short stop in his quarters to change uniforms and gather a few things he might need, Verga made his way to the launch bay. Colonel Sachs had already ordered the Commanders shuttle readied for launch and a Viper escort. All the ships launched and headed for the coordinates they had been given for the base landing area. The trip was a short one, but one with a great deal to be seen. The shuttle and her six escorting Vipers passed by huge asteroids, some as large as a dozen Battlestars. They continued on until they were meet by a squadron of Vipers from the base.

"Titan shuttle, this is Phantom Gold leader, we've been assigned to escort you to the aerodrome. Please maintain formation and follow us." A female voice said.

"Phantom Gold Leader this is Titan shuttle, we copy and are following your lead." said the shuttle pilot, Captain Gellis, the squadron leader from the Titan.

The shuttle and its escorting Vipers were surrounded by a group of Vipers, the likes of which none of them had ever seen. They all looked to be the normal Mark VIII Vipers that were used on every capital ship in the Colonial fleet for the past ninety yahren, but unlike those of the fleet, these were painted with streaks of black, gray, purple, red, and blue. They were barely visible against the dark background of space.

The group continued on until the voice of the dark Vipers came in over the comm unit.

"Titan shuttle, continue on this heading. You'll see the aerodrome in just a few microns. Happy landings and welcome to Phantom Base."

That having been said, the dark Vipers peeled off and in a blink, were gone from sight, swallowed up by the black of space. Before they could continue to search for them, the lights of the aerodrome came into sight.

It was a mammoth structure, easily large enough to hold a dozen Battlestars. It had a huge, domed roof that opened on one end to allow ships to leave and enter. There was a much smaller opening at the other end of the structure where it seemed smaller craft, such as their shuttle and Vipers could enter and land. This is the spot that Captain Gellis headed for.

"Titan shuttle, this is Phantom approach control." came a female voice over the comm unit. "You are on course and cleared to land. Upon landing, please follow the green control lights to your staging area. Welcome to Phantom Base."

"Acknowledged" Gellis said, somewhat confused by everything he was seeing. This base, from what he could see, was huge!

Gellis guided the shuttle down and thru the opening of the aerodrome with no problem. The aerodrome was even bigger on the inside then it appeared from above. The roof covered a facility that looked to have been dug deep into the asteroid, perhaps five hundred metrons or more.

As soon as the landing gear touched down, a series of green lights came on, creating a pathway leading off into the distance. Doing as he was instructed, Gellis followed the green lights. After several centons of following the green lights, they were meet by a vehicle with several men standing by it. One of the men, wearing a headset, began speaking to them on their frequency.

"Titan shuttle, this is Sergeant Cade, I'm your landing control officer. If you'd please shut down your engines, my crew and I will hook you up to our craft control vehicle and move you to your final staging area."

Following the instructions, Gellis shutdown the engines. The crewmen next to the vehicle ran forward to attach a control bar to the shuttle. Once this was accomplished, Sergeant Cade came back on the headset.

"Titan shuttle, this is Sergeant Cade. We'll be moving you to your final staging area now. Just sit back and relax."

A moment later, the shuttle began to move. They were being towed toward a large door, which slide aside as they approached. Once they had cleared the door, it slid back in place. The area they had entered was not like any landing bay any of them had seen before. Gellis, Verga, and the co-pilot, Lieutenant Retana, stared in amazement at the place. The shuttle came to a stop right in front of a large, red carpet that ran up to a sliding door. As the shuttle came to a stop, the door slid open and a group of Colonial Warriors marched out and took up positions on either side of the red carpet.

An honor guard.

"Well folks, looks like their going all out here." Verga said with a slight chuckle. "I guess it would only be polite if we were to go out and join them."

"I guess you're right Commander!" Gellis said.

The three of them moved to the hatchway where Lieutenant Retana pressed the release for the hatch to open. The inner hatch slid to the side while the outer hatch began to lift up and away. A short set of steps flipped down from the shuttle, providing easier egress from the shuttle. As the outer hatch locked into its fully open position, Commander Verga emerged from the shuttle, followed by Captain Gellis and Lieutenant Retana.

As if on some unheard signal, the two ranks of warriors lining the red carpet came to full military attention and gave a very snappy salute.

Verga was very impressed, if not somewhat surprised by the full military reception. He had not expected anything like this. He moved down the carpet between the two ranks, returning the salute as he went. At the head of the carpet, stood a group of Colonial Warriors and civilians, the warriors stood at full attention while the civilians did their best to emulate them. Verga and his officers approached the group at the end of the carpet and stopped several paces from them. The warriors amongst the group snapped off proper military salutes while the civilians bowed their heads slightly. An officer wearing the insignia of a Colonial Colonel stepped forward and spoke.

"Commander Verga, I am Colonel Leon. I bid you greetings and welcome you and your officers to Phantom Base and Shipyards."

Verga was impressed with the man that stood before him. Leon was perhaps fifty yahren of age. He had a head full of fire red hair and a beard to match. Though not very tall, he was built similar to the large barrels that Virgon ale was aged in, but there was not a bit of fat on Colonel Leon. With one look at the massive arms and shoulders on the Colonel, Verga would have liked to see Leon and Raylac have a try at arm wrestling.

"My thanks to you Colonel and to your staff and crew, from what I've seen so far, this could be the finest facility in all the cosmos." Verga replied, returning the salute.

"You haven't seen anything yet Commander!" Leon said with a bit of humor and pride in his voice. "Wait till morning comes, then you'll see what we've been up to out here. May I present my executive officer, Colonel Dyson, operations officer, Colonel Swires, chief engineer, Doctor Grego, and the man who designed most of this facility, Doctor Haley.

"Gentlemen, it's an honor to make your acquaintance. I hope to get to know each of you in the sectons to come. I'm sure I'll have a good many questions for each of you." Verga said to the assembled group.

"I'm sure that we'll be able to answer any questions you might have Commander." Colonel Leon said. "Now, if you will follow me sir, I assume you'd like to see the command center and prepare for the change of command."

"Yes Colonel, I think I would like to see the command center. Please, lead on." Verga said.

Colonel Leon turned and led the Commander and the rest the senior staff thru a sliding glass door to a large platform. Sitting at the platform was a two car transport tram. The doors of the two cars slid open and the group entered the lead car. It was very spacious, providing seating for up to thirty people. Once everyone was seated, the tram started moving slowly away from the platform. Once it was clear, it rapidly picked up speed.

"This is one of our transport trams Commander. We have over eleven hundred kilometrons of tracks laid so far and plans to expand that to fifteen hundred are already in the works." Leon told Verga. "Each line has the ability to take you to almost every corner of the facility in less then fifty centons."

"This is amazing! How many of these trams do you have here?" Verga asked.

"As of this moment, we have one hundred twenty in service. They range in size from the executive trams like this one that can carry up to sixty people, to the heavy duty trams that haul objects up to five hundred thousand kilons." Leon explained. "Most are what we call "people movers" though; they run on a regular schedule along the main lines and stop at a variety of locations. It's the most popular form of transport within the facility, though we do have moving walkways in most areas too."

It took only a few centons to travel from the aerodrome to the command center platform. When the tram came to a halt and the doors slid open, everyone disembarked. The platform was not as large as the one they had boarded the tram from and had only one apparent exit. Colonel Leon went over to the large doorway and slid a small card he had taken from his pocket and slid it into a slot in the wall. A small panel slid away to reveal a computer keyboard and screen. A voice was then heard from a small speaker next to the screen.

"Please place your left hand on the scanner plate and look into the optical scanner."

Colonel Leon placed his hand on a glass plate next to the keyboard and leaned closer to what looked like a small camera. A green light came from the camera and fanned over the Colonels eye while a similar light ran over his hand thru the glass. The voice spoke again.

"Thank you. Identification confirmed. Welcome to the command center Colonel Leon."

The sliding door opened to reveal a large elevator. After everyone had entered, Colonel Leon pressed a button next to the door. The door then slid shut and the elevator began to rise.

Leon turned to Commander Verga and said, "I'll never get use to that damn retinal scanner."

"That's a very impressive security procedure Colonel; do you have to go thru it every time you enter the command center?" Verga asked.

"Yes sir, that's why I only leave the command center if I have too. I even had my personal quarters built as part of the command center so I could avoid that thing. But, it is a necessary evil I guess." Leon said laughing.

Verga chuckled at that. He might well have done the same thing in Leon's situation. Just then the elevator slowed to a stop. As the doors opened, Colonel Leon looked at Commander Verga and said, "Commander Verga, Welcome to Phantom Base Command Central."

The Commander stepped out of the elevator onto a raised walkway that ran off to both sides of the elevator. From this vantage point, Verga was looking over a large room with row upon row of computer terminals and large color screens. Hundreds of people, both warriors and civilians, could be seen working at their various tasks. Above them, was a massive transparent dome that gave one the sense of sitting in the middle of space. There were several extremely large monitors at the front of the room where a variety of different areas of the base were being watched. Verga was overwhelmed.

"Fantastic!" was all he could manage at that moment.

"I thought you'd like it Commander!" Leon said with huge grin. "From here you can monitor and control nearly everything that goes on at this base. There are similar command centers at both of the other production plants and the refinery, only not quit as elaborate as this. The biggest difference is that you can operate from here as if you were at any of the other facilities. Would you like to take a closer look Commander?"

"You bet your ass I do." Verga said with a wide grin.

"Then follow me." Leon said as he led them to a set of stairs that descended to another level were there were several large consoles and screens. Near the center of the area was a large chair flanked by control panels. It reminded him a little of the bridge of the Titan.

"This is the command level sir, your new home. From here, you control everything that goes on in this base." Leon explained as he placed his hands on the back of the large chair. "From this seat, you can access any information you want about anything you want. You have the largest computer mainframe outside of the Caprican Central Computer Archive in existence here, all at your command; three hundred trillion megons of data are stored here."

Verga looked at the colonel in total disbelief.

Colonel Leon just nodded his head, answering Verga's unvoiced question. Pointing to the far left side of the command center, Leon began running over the functions of each. Verga was amazed. To think that all this had not only been built in just over three yahren, but was don't without the funding or even the knowledge of the Council of the Twelve. Colonel Leon and his people were simply amazing!

"Now Commander, if you'll step over here, I have something that will truly amaze you." Leon said, motioning to one of the large consoles at the front of the command level. After he and the rest of those with them made there way over, Colonel Leon began to lay out what was in store.

"Commander, as you know, the route into this facility is a very long and tedious one. The electromagnetic generators that form the "pathway" thru the asteroid belt was designed to make it impossible for a ship to get thru without our permission. But as you noticed, it becomes a determent when it becomes necessary to move large numbers of vessels thru in a hurry. I wanted to do something about this, and with the assistance of Doctor Grego and Doctor Haley, we've been able to overcome this problem."

Looking at Commander Verga, Colonel Leon asked, "Commander, with your permission?"

Verga nodded is head in consent and Leon turned to the console and began pressing controls. He then pulled on a headset and flipped another switch. Then he spoke into the mic.

"Phantom Base to Phoenix, come in please. This is Phantom Base calling the Gunstar Phoenix, please respond."

After a slight delay, the voice of Commander Bannon was heard on the speakers on the console.

"Phantom Base, this is Phoenix. I copy your transmission."

"Phoenix, this is Colonel Leon. I've been given permission to speak to you by Commander Verga. I have your position as being ten thousand metrons distant from the point that the Titan entered the asteroid belt, is this correct sir?" he asked.

On the bridge of the Phoenix, Commander Bannon exchanged looks with his exec, Colonel Andrea, who looked as confused as he was.

"Can I speak to the Commander please?" Bannon asked.

"Of course sir." Leon said as he handed a headset to the Commander.

"Commander Bannon, this is Verga. The Colonel has some new program he wants to demonstrate. Go ahead and comply with his request."

"Understood sir. Our position is ten thousand metrons from the point of entry." Bannon confirmed.

"Thank you sir, please hold that position and stand by." Leon said.

"Standing by." Bannon acknowledged.

With that done, Leon worked his controls once more. This brought up a three dimensional map of the asteroid belt where the "pathway" was located.

"Gentlemen, this is a map of the "pathway" as it is at this moment." Leon began. "The red dots on the map are the electromagnetic generators that form the pathway. The larger yellow dots are the defense lasers. What I'm about to do is to alter the pattern of the generators and lasers so as to make a direct route from where your fleet is Commander, to the base staging area."

Verga was nodding his head slowly. He wouldn't think it possible to do that, but then he wouldn't believe this base was possible before he had arrived either.

Colonel Leon continued, "By adjusting the outputs of the electromagnetic generators, we've been able to move them into a different configuration, thus changing the shape of the "pathway" from a narrow, winding one to a much larger, straight path. Grego, Haley and I have been working on this program for the past five sectars. We've run dozens of tests on it and they have all been successful. Now, with your permission sir, I'd like to open up what we call "the gateway."

Verga thought about this proposal for a moment. He wasn't sure if he wanted to risk the fleet on this experimental program or not.

"Are you sure this will work Colonel? I don't want this thing to collapse on my ships half way thru."

"Commander, we've run dozens of tests on it, I'm convinced it will work." Leon said.

Verga still had some small doubt about it, but he didn't want his ships sitting out there waiting to transit the narrow, winding path that the Titan had endured. After a moments thought, he finally gave his consent.

Colonel Leon smiled widely and opened the channel to the Phoenix.

"Phoenix, this Colonel Leon again, sorry for the delay Commander but I wanted to explain to Commander Verga what we were going to do."

"Would you mind filling me in on what this is all about Colonel?" Bannon said more then a little confused.

"Certainly sir, if you'll direct your scanners to the area were the Titan entered the asteroid belt; we're about to open up the front door for you." Leon said.

With that, Colonel Leon opened a panel on the console, reveling a computer unit very much like the one at the elevator entry. Leon punched in a code on the key pad. The computerized voice that they heard before came from the speaker on the console.

"Please place your left hand on the scanner plate and look into the optical scanner."

Leon placed his hand on the plate and leaned forward, mumbling under his breath, "I hate this thing!"

This brought some chuckles from those who heard the Colonels earlier comments about the security system.

After his identity had been confirmed, Colonel Leon accessed the voice interface of the computer.

"Computer, this is Colonel Leon. Initiate program "Gateway Alpha One"

"Initiate Program Gateway Alpha One confirmed. Program Gateway Alpha One initiated." The computer voice read.

On the bridge of the Phoenix, Commander Bannon stood watching over the shoulder of his scanner officer, Lieutenant Luby, wondering what he was suppose to see and what Colonel Leon meant by "opening the front door." So far, there was nothing there to see.

"Anything yet Lieutenant?" he asked for the tenth time.

"No change as yet sir. Everything reads as it has for the past….."

Luby's voice trailed off as she leaned forward, looking intently at her scanner readouts.

"Commander, I think we have something." She started. "It looks like there's movement within the asteroid field. It's as if there was an opening forming."

Bannon leaned in closer to Luby's screen, watching as the asteroids in the field before them suddenly seemed to come to life and begin moving, forming what looked like a huge tunnel.

"Phoenix to Phantom Base, do you copy?" Bannon said in awe of what he was seeing.

"This is Phantom Base Phoenix, go ahead." Leon replied, smiling at the tone of Bannon's voice.

"The asteroid field just shifted into what looks like a huge tunnel right before our eyes. Is that what you meant by opening the front door Colonel?" Bannon asked.

"That would be correct sir." Leon said smugly. "I think you'll find that your scanners can now reach all the way to the inner section of the asteroid belt. You should be able to bring the entire fleet thru the gateway without any problems sir. I would however advise that you maintain a speed of no more then half of fleet normal and that all ships stay a minimum of one hundred metrons from the sides of the gateway to prevent any accidental damage to them."

"Agreed, Commander Verga, with your permission, I'd like to begin sending our ships thru." Bannon said.

Verga was beside himself. He had never even dreamed that such things were possible, yet here it was. He was seeing it right before his eyes.

"Commander, you may begin sending the fleet thru immediately. Have Commander Raylac take the point. I'd like you to stand by and keep a rear guard until all the other ships have entered the tunnel, then bring up the rear."

"Yes sir, I'll pass the word along to Raylac. Phoenix out!" Bannon said and closed the channel.

And so it began, the final leg of their journey. Commander Raylac brought the Hyperion around to the lead position of the fleet and without hesitation, headed right down the center of the gateway. The other ships of the fleet soon began to make their way into the massive entryway, being careful to keep a safe interval between themselves and the other ships of the fleet. They had been told that this direct route would take less then two centars to reach their staging area, far better then the fifteen to twenty they would have had to endure had they used the old, winding route. The size of the gateway was also much larger, over a hundred times larger then before. A dozen Battlestars in formation could easily go thru the gateway, it was that big. Even though it was so large, Bannon had issued orders to all ship masters to keep a minimum of two hundred metrons from the outer edges of the gateway and five hundred metrons between ships. The speed thru the tunnel was also restricted to no more then half of fleet normal to avoid any collisions in the limited area of the gateway.

It took only two centars to get all of the ships of the fleet into the tunnel. Before the last ships even entered the gateway, the Hyperion was already emerging from the other end. She was met their by a small control craft that was sent to guide them to their staging area.

"Hyperion, this is Phantom control ship two, how do you read me?" a voice came over the open channel.

"This is Hyperion, Commander Raylac speaking; we read you loud and clear." Raylac said into his headset mic.

"Acknowledged, welcome to Phantom Base Commander. If you'll follow me please, I'll lead you to your staging area." the voice said.

"Acknowledged ship two, lead the way!" Raylac said. "Helm, follow that ship."

The small ship weaved its way past several large asteroids the size of small moons, then it came to a large area of open space. There were several extremely large asteroids farther on and the small craft seemed to be headed for the largest of them. As they approached, Raylac began to see lights coming from several of the asteroids and the scanner officer reported energy out puts on those and several others. A little farther along, Raylac spotted the Titan sitting near the largest asteroid. The control craft lead them to a place next to the Titan and began to slow.

"Hyperion, this control ship two, please cut your engines and take position one hundred metrons to port of the Titan. A shuttle will be made available to you shortly. Once again, welcome to Phantom Base!"

With that, the small ship spun around and headed back the way it had just come from. Raylac was at a loss as to what to do next. Was he supposed to wait there for further instructions? Was he to board this shuttle that was supposed to be arriving and go to the base? He didn't know.

"Ensign Todd, try and contact Commander Verga. Let's find out what he wants us to do now that we're here." Raylac said.

Several moments later Commander Verga was on the com line.

"My apologizes Commander, I was going to contact you. I need you to inform all ships to set in port watch sections as soon as they reach the staging area and have secured their engines. Then have all senior officers from each ship shuttle over to the base. Colonel Leon has scheduled an informal gathering for the officers, a sort of "get to know each other" sort of affair. Regular duty uniforms are acceptable."

Raylac was a bit confused, but acknowledged the orders. When Verga was gone, Raylac turned to his communications officer, Ensign Todd, and told him to pass along the orders to all military vessels as they cleared the gateway and reached their staging area.

In the command center of the base, Colonel Leon continued to run thru the many aspects of the command center and the base. He explained that the ship building facility would have been finished long ago except that a rouge asteroid had crashed thru Dock Five, causing a great deal of damage but luckily, no injuries. It was being repaired as they spoke and would be up and running in no time.

He also showed Verga the Missile building plant. He told him that it was a part of the original plans, but that Cain wasn't sure if he could find anyone to operate it since the only people with the technical skills to build them were all under Colonial Government contracts and would be almost impossible to get. Leon said that since Cain had not canceled the plant, he went ahead and built it.

Colonel Leon was interrupted by one of the people at the communications station.

"Excuse me Colonel, the last few ships of the fleet are entering the gateway." the young man said.

Leon turned to the man and said, "Thank you Corporeal." Then to Commander Verga he said, "Commander, now that the last few ships have entered the gateway, you get to see the rest of the show."

Verga looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean "The rest of the show?"

Leon smiled at the Commander and said, "Well first we "opened the front door", Now that their inside, it's time to close the door behind them."

As Verga looked on, Leon worked a few controls on the panel that controlled the electromagnetic generators. Then he asked the Commander to watch the three dimensional graphic of the gateway that he had showed them before.

"As you can see Commander, the Phoenix has already entered the gateway, as represented by the blue dot." Colonel Leon explained. "Once a ship clears the outer rim of the asteroid belt and is well within the gateway, I merely punch in the proper commands and……"

With that, the three dimensional graphic began to change, as the tunnel looked as if it was collapsing behind the blue dot representing the Phoenix, closing the outer opening.

Commander Verga was astounded. The space behind the Phoenix was being filled in by the asteroids, cutting off any chance an enemy would have of following.

"The asteroids will continue to return to their original places as the computer releases the electromagnetic generators and reconfigures the defense field. The whole process will take about two centars. We have run tests where we've been able to collapse the entire gateway in less then a centon."

"That would come in quite handy if you ever had to evacuate the base in a hurry." Verga said.

"I suppose it would at that sir, but I don't see where we'd ever have a need for that." Colonel Leon said. "But we would have plenty of warning in the event of an attack."

"How much advance notice could you have Colonel? Our scanners on the Titan couldn't penetrate the asteroid field from outside the field, so I'm sure it would be nearly impossible to get a very good scan from inside." Verga said.

Colonel Leon smiled and said, "Normally Commander, that would be true, but we have a little system that makes it possible to scan out nearly a quarter light yahren."

Verga couldn't believe what he had just heard. "A quarter light yahren, that's not possible! Not even the Planetary Defense Command on Caprica has that kind of range."

Leon smiled and nodded his head as he walked over to a set of shelves along one wall, where he picked up a small sphere and returned with it.

"You're right Commander, the PDC doesn't have that kind of range, but that's because they don't have these."

Leon held out the sphere to Commander Verga, who took the strange object, looking it over carefully.

"What is it? Verga asked as he studied the thing. It was about half the size of a Triad sphere. It was made of a material that he did not recognize and had what appeared to be scanner cells and small transmitter arrays all over its surface, and thou it was small, it was very heavy, perhaps weighting twenty kilons.

"That commander is what alerted us to your arrival. It's a miniature scanning satellite. It's something Doctor Grego introduced me to about two yahren ago."

"I see, so how does it work?" Verga asked.

"Well Commander, what we did was we place tens of thousands of these little beauties out in space, forming a kind of grid around the entire asteroid belt. There are two of these grids, the outer grid is approximately a quarter light yahren out, the inner grid is about half that distance. The satellites form an electronic web around the asteroid belt, and if an intruder passes thru that web, it's scanned by the satellites and that information is run thru our data base for identification. We can figure out where the intruder is by which satellites are set off."

"How much warning does this "grid" give you Colonel?" asked the Commander.

"We figure that a baseship, if traveling at top speed, we would have a full sectar from the time it passes thru the outer grid and a little over a sentar once it's thru the inner grid." Leon said "Then they would have to deal with the asteroid field, and the defense system."

"Wouldn't the Cylons be able to detect the satellites?" Verga asked.

"Did you detect them Commander?" Leon asked.

"No, we didn't. But we weren't looking for them." Verga said a bit defensively.

"True, and neither would the Cylons. The satellites are almost undetectable. A ship would have to literally run into one before they knew they were there, and each satellite has an avoidance program that keeps them from being hit by anything." Leon told him.

"Very impressive Colonel, it would seem that you have thought of just about everything." Verga said.

"Thank you Commander, that's most kind of you to say. Now sir, if you'd like, I'll have someone escort you to your new quarters so you can rest and get settled in while I attend to a few details concerning our get together later tonight." Leon continued.

"That would be fine Colonel, I'd like to rest up for a bit. You'll of course have quarters for the Captain and Lieutenant!" Verga said.

"Of course sir, it's already been arranged. Ensign Dawn will show you the way. Until later sir, enjoy!" Leon said as he saluted and then turned and made his way to the elevator.

Verga, Gellis and Retana exchanged glances as a young woman appeared from another elevator.

"Hello Commander, I'm Ensign Dawn. I've been assigned to show you to your quarters and answer any questions you might have."

Verga simply nodded and said, "Very well Ensign, lead the way."

With that, the four officers boarded the elevator and were gone.

Just over two centars passed from the time Commander Verga left the Command Center and the time the door chime rung. When he opened the hatch, he found Ensign Dawn standing outside at attention.

"Sir, I've been instructed to escort you to the main gathering hall for the party." She said.

"I see, have the other officers from the fleet arrived yet Ensign?" Verga asked.

"I believe that most of them have arrived and are waiting for you sir." She told the Commander.

"Well then, I guess we shouldn't keep them waiting. After you!" he said, gesturing for her to lead the way.

A few centons later, they had arrived at their destination. The main gathering hall was an enormous room, a full fifty metrons long and nearly as wide, it had the look of a room that could serve in a number of uses depending on the need. Tonight it would serve as a ball room for a gathering of the officers of the fleet and those of the base.

As the Commander entered the room, a large security officer standing near the door brought a whistle to his lips and began to sound a tune that brought everyone in the room to attention. When the officer finished, he announced in a loud, baritone voice, "Attention all hands! Stand too and welcome Phantom Base Commander, Commander Verga."

All those present saluted the Commander, who in proper military form returned their salute with one of his own.

"My thanks to you, one and all. And to Colonel Leon, I say thank you for all that you have done here. You have truly created a remarkable facility. I look forward to building a new future for the Colonial Fleet here in the yahren to come, but for now, enjoy the evening."

Verga made his way over to where Colonel Leon stood with Commander Bannon and Colonel Eller. The three raised their glasses of ambrosia in greeting to the Commander as a server handed a glass to Verga.

"Here's to a bright and industrious future here at Phantom Base." Colonel Leon said. "I wish you and your people the greatest success in the future sir."

"Thank you Colonel, I look forward to getting started." Verga said. "But tell me Colonel, what are you going to do once you turn over the base to us? What are your orders from then on?"

"Well Commander, according to the orders I was given by Commander Cain, after I turn over the base to you and you've had time to get acquainted with the operation of all the systems, my division and I are to return to Fifth Fleet Headquarters for an extended furlon. Doctor Grego and Doctor Haley will be staying on here to assist you with anything you need as far as the operation of the Base systems. They pretty much designed and built everything on this project so you couldn't have better to learn from."

"How long before you think you'll be leaving Colonel?" asked Commander Bannon.

Leon shrugged his shoulders and said, "I guess that depends on how long it takes for your people to get the hang of this place. I figure we should be ready to head out about the same time we finish up all those last centon projects I mentioned to you before."

At that moment, a young officer walked up to the Colonel, his face ashen. He handed the Colonel a piece of paper and left. As he read the message, the color visibly began to drain away from his face. All eyes were on Colonel Leon as he looked about ready to pass out.

"What is it Colonel? What's wrong?" asked Commander Verga.

Leon looked at him with a blank stare. Then he handed Verga the message that he had just read. Verga took the message and read it himself. His mouth tightened as he closed his eyes in anguish.

"What is it Commander? What's happened?" Bannon asked.

Verga opened his eyes and turned to his friend, "It's a message from a ship that was with the Fifth Fleet. According to this, Cain and the entire Fifth Fleet have been destroyed at Molocay."


	5. Disaster at Molocay

Battlestar Galactica

Past, Present, Future

Chapter Five

Disaster at Molocay

Word of the disaster spread thru the room quickly. The faces of all those present told the story. Every emotion possible was displayed within the room…… sadness, anger, fear, and a dozen others, but the most evident was shock. It was in the eyes of everyone.

As soon as he had read the message, Commander Verga knew that everything had changed. The entire Fifth Fleet gone. All those people, many of whom he had been friends with…… all gone!

Including Cain.

Verga kept asking himself, over and over…… How could it have happened? But he had no answers….. yet! Only questions, but by the Lords of Kobol he swore he would have those answers. For now thou, he had other duties to perform.

"Commander Bannon, I want the senior staff from the fleet and the base assembled in briefing room Alpha in ten centons." he said. "I'd also like to have the ship masters and the civilian leaders assembled in the auditorium for a briefing in two centars."

Bannon nodded his head and went to issue the orders. Verga turned to Colonel Leon, who was still looking like he was about to faint.

"Colonel Leon, I want you to have your communications staff continuously monitor all frequencies for any future word from that ship. I want confirmation as to what ship that message came from, how they came by the information and what happened. I want to know every detail."

"Yes sir, I'll get right on it." the Colonel said, still not totally cognoscente of what he was doing.

Verga then turned to Colonel Eller, who stood next to the Commander, staring into his glass of ambrosia, totally lost in thought. Verga remembered the Colonel telling him about his two sons serving under Cain.

"Colonel, until we get some kind of valid verification, you shouldn't assume the worst. There is every possibility that the report we have was wrong." Verga said compassionately.

Eller looked up from his drink and smiled slightly, "I know Commander, I was just remembering the last thing my oldest boy said to me before I left. He told me to be careful out here because we didn't know what we would run into way out here."

Verga nodded his head in understanding.

"I just wonder how his mother will handle the news. As a warrior, I've always known this could happen, but she has never accepted the possibility." Eller continued.

Verga placed a hand on the big Colonels shoulder and said, "Come on, let's go to the briefing room. We have a lot to do."

Eller nodded his head, downed the rest of his drink and followed the Commander out of the now nearly empty room.

In the briefing room ten centons later, all the senior Colonial officers were present. It was easy to gather them all so quickly since they had all been in attendance of the gathering before the news of the Fifth Fleet arrived. Verga, Bannon and Commander Raylac sat at the head of the large, triangular shaped table along with Colonel Eller and Colonel Leon. Colonels Sachs, Andrea, Goff, Dyson, and Swires were there as was Major Orozo and Captain Gellis. Doctors Grego and Haley were also present.

Verga stood up and moved to the small lectern and began to speak.

"Gentleman, as you all know, a message was intercepted by the communications section of the base concerning the Fifth Fleet. The early reports are that the Fifth Fleet was destroyed at Molocay. Now, before I say any more, I must say that this report has not yet been verified and could very well be false. Until we get some kind of verification, I want to keep this under wraps. No mention of this is to be made outside of this command center. Colonel Leon has already issued orders to his communications people to say nothing and all those at the party have been told the same thing. I don't want a panic started in the fleet or on the base. Is that understood?"

Verga looked at his staff, making sure all of them knew he meant what he said. Convinced he had made this point, he continued.

"Colonel Leon, anything further information concerning the Fifth Fleet or the ship that sent the message?"

Colonel Leon opened a folder he had brought with him and began to read from it.

"No further word has been received as yet, but you have to realize that we are well out of the range of any Colonial transmitters or relay stations. A message from the Colonies takes on the average about six to seven sectars to reach us. Molocay is nearly twice that distance from here. As for the ship that sent the message, it has been identified as the Torrent, a Guardian class Destroyer that was listed as being with the Fifth Fleet when they departed for Molocay. They may be having some kind of transmitter problems since we haven't heard from them since the initial message. The Torrent did cross the outer detection grid approximately forty centons ago and the readings we got then showed it was traveling at high speed on a direct course toward us."

"Then we can safely assume they know we're here then?" Bannon said.

"I'd say that's a safe bet Commander." Leon said. "From what my communications people tell me, the signal they received was on one of our special frequencies, on an extremely tight beam. I have no doubt that they know exactly where we are and how to contact us."

"How long before the Torrent arrives at the asteroid field Colonel?" Verga asked.

"At the speed they were traveling, they should reach the asteroid belt in approximately three sectons. I suggest we send out a patrol to intercept the Torrent before it gets too close, just in case this is some kind of Cylon deception." Leon said.

Verga nodded his head and looked over at Commander Raylac.

"Commander, how would you feel about taking the Hyperion out and finding out what's going on with the Torrent?"

"I don't see a problem with it sir, but why not send a couple of Destroyers or Frigates?" he asked.

"If this is some kind of Cylon trick, they won't be as apt to try anything if their facing a Gunstar." Verga reasoned.

Raylac had to agree with his Commanders reasoning.

"I'll depart as soon as we finish here." he said.

"Good, I'll need you to make contact with them and find out what in Hades is going on and why they stopped transmitting after that one short message. Contact me as soon as you can Commander." Verga ordered. "Until then, I want this base on alert status. Colonel Leon, you'll be in command of the base defenses, Commander Bannon, you will take charge of all of our defense fleet operations. Make a patrol roster and assign your section leaders. Any questions?"

"What do we tell the civilians sir?" asked Colonel Dyson.

"For now, we tell them nothing. We keep this as low profile as possible. I've scheduled a meeting with the civilian ship masters and the leaders of the various work groups to discuss base operations and getting started on building these ships. I hope to have more information by then so I can tell them something, but until I have something I can verify, I don't want the civilians to know. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!" Dyson said.

"Alright, lets get busy and find out what we have going here." Verga said.

With that, everyone departed for their various posts.

Less then two centars later, Commander Verga walked in to the large auditorium and made his way to the front of the room. He was joined by Commander Bannon, Colonel Eller, Doctor Grego and Doctor Haley.

The auditorium was a huge room. It had tiered seating and was capable of seating up to a thousand people. The room was over half full as the ship masters of the fleet and the base leaders filled the room. Verga listened to the conversations of the people assembled to see if any of them might be talking about the possible disaster involving the Fifth Fleet. Most of what he heard was about the station and the work ahead.

This was good. It seemed that the story had for now stayed among the warriors in the command center.

Verga went to the podium and called the room to silence. He then started to outline the job ahead and what was expected of each group of workers. He explained the work schedule and the personnel rotation that would be taking place…… at least the planned rotation. As he went on, a messenger from the communications center entered and made her way to the front of the room. She handed the page to Commander Bannon and departed. Bannon read the message quickly, then went over to speak with Verga. After a few moments of whispered conversation, Bannon returned to his seat and Verga read the message himself.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have just been handed a message detailing some very grave news." Verga began. "Earlier this day, we received a partial message from a ship of the Fifth Fleet. The signal was very garbled and we were only able to get part of it before the signal was lost. The message I just received is from that same ship and seems to confirm the first message. They are informing me that the Fifth Fleet has been destroyed by the Cylons."

Immediately, the room grew hushed.

"The ship sending this message, the Colonial Destroyer Torrent, was one of the escort vessels assigned to Fifth Fleet. We have no further details at this time. I have already dispatched the Hyperion to rendezvous with the Torrent and escort them back here to Phantom Base. They should arrive here in three sectons, hopefully with more information then we have. Until then however, we will proceed with bringing this base to life and start building. So, let's get down to business!"

"Wait a centon! You drop a bombshell like that on us and expect us to just move on like nothing has happened?" a man yelled from the front row.

Verga fixed his eyes on the man and in a very calm, clear voice said to him, "At this time sir, there is nothing we can do for our comrades. We do however have a mission to complete here. We have ships and missiles to build and Tylium to refine. It is my intention to carry out that mission. So unless you have a better idea, I say let's get started!"

The man in the front row sat down and said no more, seeing the look in the Commanders eyes. The rest of the briefing went on without interruption, thou Verga knew most of what he said had not been heard. Everyone in that room, himself included, was thinking about the Fifth Fleet.

For the next secton, everyone made themselves busy with the unloading of the supplies and machinery they had brought with them from the colonies, living quarters were assigned and settled into and facilities were inspected and people familiarized themselves with the base. But always at the forefront of their minds was what had happened to the Fifth Fleet.

The same was true for Commander Verga and his staff as well. Verga spent centar after centar sitting in the command post, waiting for some word from Raylac. Colonel Leon had hardly left the communications center since the Hyperion departed. Bannon had kept busy assigning patrol duties to the twenty four Destroyers and twelve Frigates at his disposal.

Finally, a message came in from the Hyperion. It was routed up to Commander Verga's station where most of the senior staff had been spending the majority of their time the past few days.

"Hyperion to Phantom Base, come in please!" came the voice of Commander Raylac.

"This is Phantom Base, go ahead Hyperion." Verga responded.

"Commander, we've made contact with the Torrent. They lost their long range communications array; it was damaged in the battle with the Cylons, that's why they weren't able to contact us." Raylac reported.

"What did they say about the Fifth Fleet? About Cain?" Verga asked the inevitable question, not knowing whether or not he wanted the answer.

There was a pause, only for a moment, but it seemed to last an eternity. Raylac's voice was low and sad.

"It's as we feared Commander, the officer in command of the Torrent, a Lieutenant Kerr, reported that the Cylons set an ambush for them at Molocay."

"How did they get away?" Verga asked. "And why is a lieutenant commanding a Destroyer? That's a command for a Major or a Colonel."

"Yes sir, it is, but Lieutenant Kerr was the ranking surviving officer and assumed command by Commander Cain's personal orders. He was also ordered to withdraw from the battle and make his way to Phantom Base." Raylac informed Verga. "Cain knew they were finished, so he sent the information on how to locate the base to the Torrent and sent them to us."

Verga sat for a moment without saying a thing; he just stared at the screen with Raylac's face on it, his mind a million kilometrons away. Then he refocused his thoughts.

"Where's the Lieutenant now Commander?" He asked.

"He's in the Life Center aboard the Hyperion sir; he was suffering from second and third degree burns and broken bones in his arm, shoulder and leg. The Life Center on the Torrent was destroyed in the battle and all but two med techs were killed." Raylac said. "Their ship is a mess Commander, but they did one Hades of a job repairing it and getting this far. It's a miracle that it didn't blow apart."

"I see, will it make it back to the base Commander?" Verga asked.

"I think so sir. I sent Colonel Goff and three repair parties over to help. Goff reports that the most serious damage has been repaired and that with the exception of the long range communications array, all major systems are operational."

Verga shook his head in amazement. This one ship, its senior officers all dead, massive casualties, extensive damage, and outnumbered, had not only managed to survive, but had made good its escape.

"Very well Commander, bring her home. I want to take a look at the ships logs and communications records. Let's see if we can find out what happened to the fleet." Verga said.

It took almost another two sectons before the Hyperion returned to Phantom Base with the Torrent tucked in close to port. Every eye on the base was glued to the little ship as it sailed past, the hull a patchwork of colors from all the different repairs that had been done. It was truly a miracle that they had made it. Once the Hyperion and Torrent were moored in the staging area, a shuttle picked up Raylac, Goff, and Kerr and took them to the command center.

As the door slide open to the command center, every eye was on the young officer being pushed in a wheelchair. He was covered in bandages and had his arm, shoulder and leg in immobilizers. Thou it was easy to tell the young man was in excruciating pain, he had refused any pain relieving medications until he had made his report to the Commander. They made their way to the briefing room where the senior staff was waiting.

Commander Verga winced when he saw how badly injured the Lieutenant was, thinking that he should delay this debriefing until the man had time to recover some, but he knew that the information he had was vital to them, so as distasteful as it was, he would have to go thru with it. Once the Lieutenant was rolled up to the foot of the table, Verga began.

"First, let me thank you for coming here Lieutenant. I wish we could delay these proceedings until you were feeling better, but I'm sure you realize how important it is that we ask you these questions. We'll try and make this as quick as possible."

"I understand fully Commander." Lieutenant Kerr said in obvious pain.

Verga gave the man a nod and then asked simply, "Tell us what happened."

Lieutenant Kerr took a deep breath then began to tell his story.

"Things went pretty well at first. We made our way to a point just outside the Molocay system, where Cain had all ships refuel. He sent the empty tankers back home while the rest of the fleet continued on. When we entered the system, the Pegasus reported that they had three Baseships and their escorts on scanners near the third planet of the system. Cain ordered the fleet forward to engage and destroy them. When the Cylons spotted us they began to head away from us, toward the sixth planet in the system. We pursued them thru the system until they reached the eighth planet and then they reversed course, that's when all Hades broke loose!"

Kerr stopped talking at that point; a far distant look came to his face as the events of that day returned in a tidal wave.

"What happened then son?" asked Verga gently.

A tear streamed down the young mans face from under the bandages covering his right eye and his good hand tightened on the arm of the wheelchair as the memories of that horrid day returned to his mind. After taking a moment to regroup, Lieutenant Kerr continued.

"We all thought they were turning around to fight, so Cain ordered the Battlestars to begin launching their fighters while the escorts moved in on the flanks. Normally, the escorts would form a protective screen around the Battlestars, but Cain wanted to take these three Baseships out quickly, so he sent his Gunstars, Destroyers, and Frigates in to support the Viper squadrons and do as much damage to the Baseships as possible. But his plan backfired."

"How so? How could three Baseships destroy an entire fleet? Raylac asked.

Kerr shifted his one eyed gaze from Verga to Raylac, "Not three Baseships Commander….. Twelve!"

Every officer at the table sat up straight at this.

"Twelve Baseships! How did the Cylons get twelve Baseships within striking distance of Cain's fleet without his spotting them?" Verga asked.

"From what we picked up on our scanners, they must have been in a low orbit on the back side of the forth, fifth, and tenth planets of the system. All three planets are enormous and have very dense atmospheres which made it very difficult to scan thru. We didn't know they were there till they cleared the atmosphere. By then it was too late, they had us surrounded."

"What orders did Commander Cain issue once he knew it was a trap?" Verga asked, not believing that Cain could have been caught as unaware as it appeared he had.

"He ordered us to attack and punch thru." Kerr said. "Our ship was in the first wave and we engaged the Cylons head on, but the fighters ignored us for the most part, they went after the capital ships, the Battlestars and Gunstars."

"What happened then?" Verga asked.

"After we punched thru the Cylons, our C.O., Major Talus ordered me to reverse course and try and position the Torrent into a defensive position over the Pegasus."

"Did you make it?" this question from Colonel Leon.

"Yes sir, we were able to fight our way into position and lend support to the Pegasus's anti-fighter lasers. The other Battlestars were not so lucky though."

"What happened to them?" Verga asked.

"I didn't see what happened to most of them, only heard the reports that were coming in. I did however see the Battlestar Kastria destroyed, as well as the Gunstars Hydra and Geryon, as for the rest of the fleet, I couldn't say for sure." Kerr said.

"I see, tell us Lieutenant, how did your ship manage to escape? And what happened to Major Talus?" Verga asked. These were the questions everyone in the room were waiting for. They all wanted to know why only one vessel from the Fifth Fleet appeared to survive the Cylon ambush.

Lieutenant Kerr tried the sit up straight in his wheelchair, but was unable to do more then shift himself from the right side of the chair to the left.

"We were ordered by Commander Cain to withdraw from the battle and make our way here sir." Kerr said. "He transmitted coordinates and course information to us along with orders for you that I've turned over to Commander Raylac. Commander Cain had us head for the fuel depot at Parnassus. Once there, we were to refuel and standby to rendezvous with any other survivors, but none ever came. We waited for three days, making what repairs we could while we waited. After that, we moved on. We started off on the course Commander Cain gave us and followed the instructions he transmitted."

"And Major Talus? asked Verga.

"The Major was killed along with the exec and the operations officer when the overhead on the bridge collapsed. I was the only officer of a rank higher then Ensign alive on the bridge, so I assumed command." Kerr explained sadly.

"How were you injured Lieutenant?" Commander Bannon asked.

Kerr turned to Bannon, fatigue beginning to set in, and replied, "After we received the order to pull out, we came under attack from a phalanx of Cylon fighters. I was still at the helm and trying to maneuver when an explosion rocked the ship. I was thrown from my station and debris from the overhead fell and buried me. My shipmates were able to get me out and we managed to make our escape. I stayed on the bridge until such time as we were clear of the fighting. Then I was taken to the emergency medical station that had been set up on the mess decks. I turned over operational command to Ensign Hack until I was able to return to the bridge."

Commander Verga leaned back in his seat, his hands resting on his chest. He was very impressed with the young mans courage and determination. He would make a fine Commander someday, but for now, he would have to take a great deal of time for him to heal.

"Lieutenant Kerr, I thank you for your time and patience in dealing with this process." Commander Verga began. "The information you've given us has been invaluable. We will put it to the best possible use. As for yourself, I'm relieving you of all duties until further notice; you're to concentrate on getting well. I fear that in the yahren ahead, we're going to need all the ship commanders we can find, and I want you at your best when that day comes."

"Yes sir." Kerr said, his voice getting weaker by the micron.

Verga looked to the med techs that stood just behind the Lieutenant and nodded for them to take him back to the Life Center. They turned him around and wheeled him out.

Silence filled the room as the senior staff members watched the med techs wheel Lieutenant Kerr out, each one lost in his own thoughts. After the doors to the briefing room closed, Commander Verga began to speak.

"Well gentlemen, this creates a bit of a problem. Cain was the driving force behind this whole project. Now, in light of this news, I have to ask the question……. How do we proceed now?"

Nobody said a word for several moments as the implications of the statement were mulled over. What indeed were they suppose to do now? It was Commander Bannon that was the first to speak.

"Well, I for one think that as great a loss as this is, both personal and to the whole of humanity, I think it changes nothing! We still have a mission to complete, with or without Cain! I think it's what he would have wanted, and it would be the greatest tribute we could possibly give him."

"That may be true Commander," Verga said. "But how much can we truly accomplish here without Cain? It was Cain that was responsible for not only getting this base built, but also for providing the personnel to work here and the crews that will be manning the ships we built. I'm sure we can still build enough Battlestars to replace every ship that has been lost over the past five centuries, but without the trained people to man them, we might as well be building turbo flushes!"

What about that list of people Cain gave us?" Raylac asked. "Maybe we can get some help from them?"

Verga nodded his head. He had almost forgotten about the list of people that Cain had given them in their infodisks. The list contained the names of about two score people that were involved in some way with this project. Certainly some of them would be able to help.

"An excellent suggestion Commander, but whom from that list should we contact?" Verga mussed.

"I say we start at the top, Fleet Admiral Larson!" Bannon said. "If anyone from that list can help us, it would be him."

"I'd have to agree, Fleet Admiral Larson would be the wisest place to start. The only problem is, it will take the message nearly a yahren to reach the Colonies since there are no signal relay stations between here and the Purellus outpost." Verga reminded him.

"That's true sir, so I'd say the sooner we send off that signal, the sooner we'll get a response." Bannon said with his usual candor.

"Very well then, we'll send a message off to Fleet Admiral Larson requesting further instructions as to this project. Until we hear back from him, we will continue with operations as scheduled. We will build ourselves the greatest fleet of Battlestars and Vipers the Colonies has ever seen!


	6. Death of the Colonies

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter Six**

**Death of the Colonies**

The streets of Caprica City were alive with activity, even at that late centar. Thousands of revelers filled the avenues laughing, singing, dancing…… celebrating the coming armistice. Throughout the twelve colonies of man, celebrations were underway to commemorate what many thought was the greatest event in the history of mankind, the end of the thousand yahren war with the Cylons. The war had been a part of their lives centuries, billions upon billions of humans had died in what many had believed was a "no win" situation. Now it seemed that an end was finally within their grasp.

Among the celebrants, Major Saxton made his way thru the never ending flow of people in the streets. Normally, he would have been aboard his ship, the Presidential Battlestar Atlantia. But on this, the most important night in history, he was walking the streets of the capital city on his way to one of his favorite drinking establishments. He and his entire squadron had been given furlon while the fleet was off to meet with the representatives from the Cylon Empire to sign the treaty that would put an end to the war. He was surprised by the orders, not because he and his entire squadron had been ordered to stand down, but that the order had come from the president himself. President Adar had given the order that all squadrons were to stand down and that only "A reasonable number" of Viper pilots was to be kept on board for patrols and reconnaissance. The Commander had of course protested this, but the President, on the advice of one of his advisors, a Piscerian by the name of Baltar, had overruled the Commander. Thus, here he was.

Saxton arrived at the establishment he wanted a short time later. It was a popular place for warriors to go because the proprietor always went out of his way to accommodate them. He had been a warrior long ago, but was injured in the Battle of Cosmaro Archipelago as a Viper pilot with the Forth Fleet. The proprietor, the former Captain Lester, loved to tell how he nearly won the war with the Cylons single handed, and would have if not for a lucky shot by one of those "goll-monging rust pots" as he called them, tore the front section of his Viper off. The way he tells the story, he was found drifting in space after the battle, both of his legs shattered and was forced into retirement.

Those warriors that came there knew they would most likely be "honored" with the telling of the tale, even if they had been there a hundred times before. It was a small price to pay thou.

As Saxton entered the main room, he was surprised at the number of people that filled the room. It seemed that every square metron was occupied. He was about to turn around and leave when he saw a familiar face at a table near the back wall. He wore a dark blue warrior's uniform with Captains rank insignia. The man was waving to him to come over, so Saxton made his way thru the crowd toward the table.

The man met him half way, a huge smile on his face.

"Hey Sax, how you doin!" the man yelled to be heard over the crowd.

"I'm doing alright Nader, how about you?" Saxton answered.

"I'm doin great! How could I be otherwise pal, with the war about to end and all?" Nader said enthusiastically.

"It's not over yet buddy, anything could still happen." Saxton said more subdued then his friend.

"True….very true! So what are you doing here Sax? I thought you were a squadron commander on the Atlantia or something? How come you're not out there with the rest of the fleet?" Nader asked.

"The President ordered all squadrons to stand down and sent us all on extended furlons." Saxton said.

"Really! That's strange, who's going to protect the fleet if the armistice goes bad?" Nader asked.

"I don't know! The Atlantia only had twenty Viper pilots aboard when they pulled out, and most of them were fresh out of pilot training. Most all the experienced pilots were left behind." Saxton told him.

"That is strange, but if the President ordered it, then who are we to argue?" Nader said.

I guess, but from what I heard from some of the other ships, several of the other Battlestars left with all there squadrons aboard, like the Galactica." Saxton said.

"That's Commander Adama's ship, isn't it?" Nader asked.

"Sure is, from what I heard from one of the spacedock workers that was on the Galactica, they had a full compliment of Vipers aboard and all four squadrons were still there." Saxton told him.

"Sounds like Adama is expecting trouble." Nader remarked.

"Maybe he is, he's one of the best for a reason. If he thinks there's going to be trouble, orders or not, he'll do what's best for his ship and the fleet." Saxton said.

"What about you Sax, you think there's going to be trouble?" Nader asked his friend.

"I don't know." Saxton said thoughtfully. "I'll tell you something, I have a feeling that something big is going to happen, and I don't just mean the armistice. I have a feeling this war is far from over.

Hey Sax, why don't you come and join us? There's plenty of room." Nader said, gesturing at the table. "That's if you don't mind drinking with junior officers."

Saxton looked at the faces of the others for the first time. All were very young, perhaps no more then twenty two or three yahren of age. All wore the rank insignia of Ensigns and the shoulder patches of the Planetary Defense Command.

"I take it you all work together at the P.D.C." Saxton asked as they made their way back to the table.

"Yep! This is part of my watch section. We all came over here to celebrate the armistice after we secured over at the P.D.C." Nader told him.

"So you just got off duty?" Saxton asked a bit confused.

"Yeah, well sort of anyway." Nader said.

"What do you mean "sort of" Nader? How do you get "sort of" off duty?" Saxton asked, an uneasy feeling growing in the back of his mind.

"Well, I guess that was a little strange, but everything checked out. You see it's like this." Nader began as Saxton took a sip of the ale the drink server had brought over.

"We were on duty and everything seemed to be perfectly normal. Of course none of us wanted to be there with the armistice about to take place and all, but as the junior watch commander, I was the one the pulled the duty tonight. Well, we were about three centars into the shift when this Commander wearing the sash of a Presidential Aid came into the control room and orders us to switch all our systems to standby and to secure for the evening."

Saxton sat his cup down as he listened to his friend's story. A tingling began at the base of his skull just then, the same kind of tingle he got every time Cylons were around.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"Well, I told him I couldn't do that without orders from the P.D.C.'s commanding officer, Admiral Peltier. That's when he pulls out this!" Nader said as he reached inside his warriors' cape and produces a piece of paper.

"What's this?" Saxton asked as he took it from Nader.

"That my friend is a Presidential Order!" Nader answered. "That Commander gave it to me, said that by the order of the President of the Twelve Colonies, I was to shut down all active weapons systems and secure them until further notice. The order also placed him in command of the P.D.C. until further notice."

Saxton read the order as if it were written in some kind of foreign language. He looked at Nader for a moment, then back at the document.

"Did you verify this order? Did you run it thru an authenticator?" Saxton asked, dumbfounded by what the order said. "This can't be real!"

"That's what I thought too, but I ran it thru the authenticator three times! It's legit!" Nader said shaking his head. "I still can't believe that it's real."

The tingle at the back of Saxton's skull went up a few notches.

"Did you try and contact Admiral Peltier and get his verification?" Saxton asked.

"I tried, but there was no answer at his office or his residence. He didn't even answer his personal comunit, and he never goes anywhere without that thing."

The tingle jumped higher.

"Who's the exec at the P.D.C.?" Saxton asked.

"That would be Commander Loch, but I wasn't able to contact him either." Nader said.

Saxton sat for a moment and thought about what he had just been told. Something seemed wrong with this situation, but was it just him or was there a real problem. He had to find out.

"Look Nader, I got a feeling that something isn't right here. I think we need to go back over to the P.D.C. headquarters and find out what the Hades is going on." Saxton said.

"You think there's a problem?" Nader asked.

Saxton nodded his head and said, "Yeah, I think that something is very wrong and we need to check into it." He said.

Saxton looked at the other four warriors, who had been sitting there, quietly listening to the two senior officers as they discussed the events of earlier that evening. He looked at a young blond woman of about twenty two yahren and asked, "What's your name?"

"Ensign Leia sir." She said nervously.

"Do you know where Admiral Peltier and Commander Loch live?" Saxton asked.

"Yes sir!" she answered.

"Good, I want you to go to there homes and inform them of what we've been talking about. You were listening, weren't you Ensign?" Saxton said.

"Yes sir." The Ensign said sheepishly.

"Good, tell the Admiral and the Commander that Captain Nader and I are going back to the P.D.C. and ask this Commander why he wants the weapons systems turned off." He said. He then looked at a dark haired woman of no more then twenty yahren and said, "What's your name?"

"Ensign Keitha sir." She responded.

"I need you to contact Colonial Security and have them send some people over to the P.D.C., just in case there is trouble. Tell them what we've been discussing and let them know that we're heading over there now."

"Yes sir!" she said.

Saxton looked at the last two, a female warrior of about twenty four and a male of no more then twenty. Both looked a bit worried.

"You two will come with us. There shouldn't be any trouble, but if there is, we may need the help." Saxton said.

The two young warriors just nodded and rose from their seats.

"Alright people, you know what you need to do. Take care of business and then hightail it back to the P.D.C., everyone clear?" Saxton asked.

All of them confirmed they understood.

"Alright, let's move. And let's hope that I'm wrong!"

The group of six warriors made their way to the exit and once outside, split up to carry out their different tasks. As they left the building, another person, wearing a dark, hooded cloak followed them out and watched them separate. He then pulled out a small personal comunit and punched in a few numbers. He was connected a few microns later.

"You're about to have visitors Commander. It seems that the watch commander you "relieved" has some reservations about your story and is coming back to check things out again." The cloaked figure said.

The voice on the end of the signal said calmly, "Not to worry my friend, I've taken care of everything here and will have a very warm welcome waiting for that nosey little snitrad and his friends."

"Good! Good! While you take care of them, I'll dispose of the two that left on other tasks. We only have to stay undetected for a few more centars. Don't fail my friend or we won't live long enough to regret our failure." The cloaked figure said.

"I know." The other said. Then the signal ended.

The cloaked figure began to walk at a brisk pace along the same way that the dark haired young warrior had went off on, blending into the crowd.

The hovermobile came to a halt at the main entrance to the P.D.C. and the four Colonial Warriors inside piled out. They were surprised when they arrived to find that the gate to the facility was unmanned and unsecured, no sign of the guards was evident. They proceeded to the command center were once again, they were not challenged by the usual Warrior security detachment that was always present. This raised the alarm in the three Warriors that only a few centars ago had left the facility.

"Where in Hades is everyone?" said Captain Nader asked nobody unparticular. "There was a full security detachment here when we left. Presidential order or not, I know Captain Rola would not leave the place unguarded."

"Maybe he didn't!" Saxton said as he looked toward a cluster of hedges near the door. Saxton and the others moved toward the plants, where they found the bodies of over twenty Warrior security personnel thrown haphazardly behind them.

"Lords of Kobol! What happened to them?" asked the female Warrior that had accompanied them to the P.D.C.

Saxton moved closer and pulled the small hand lamp he always carried from his pocket. He shinned the beam into the face of one of the Warriors.

It was Captain Rola.

Saxton squatted down next to the Captain and examined his face for a moment, then reached down and looked at his hands. After a moment, he stood and nodded to himself.

"What is it Sax? You know what killed them?" Nader asked.

"I'm no Med tech, but even I know the signs of Phosogen V poisoning." He told them.

"Phosogen V, whats that?" asked the female Warrior.

Saxton looked toward the building as if expecting to see someone or something watching them. Then he began to answer.

"Phosogen V is a chemical weapon used by the Cylons. It gets into the blood stream and causes all kinds of problems. First it hits the nervous system, paralyzing the muscles, then it causes the blood in your veins to turn to an acid when it reaches your lungs, so the blood vessels burst and you drowned in your own blood. You can tell if someone died from it by checking their fingernails and skin color."

"And this Phosogen V is what killed them?" asked Nader.

"Yeah." Saxton said still staring at the building.

"Who do you think did it? Cylons?" asked the male Ensign that was with them.

"I'd say it was that "Commander" that showed up and sent everyone home. What I can't understand is why." Saxton said.

"You said this stuff was used by the Cylons, how would a human get their hands on that stuff?" Nader asked.

"I don't know! But I intend to find out!" Saxton said.

He turned to the two Warriors with Nader and asked their names.

"I'm Rentner, this is Britt." The male Warrior said, hiking a thumb in the direction of the young woman.

"Alright, I'm Major Saxton." He said nodding to them. "We need to go in there and find out what's going on. I need one of you to stay here and contact Colonial Security. Let them know what we've found and have them send at least a cohort of Warriors to secure the area."

Ensign Britt raised her hand. "I'll stay."

Saxton nodded his head at her. He could see the fear in her eyes. He knew if she went in the building with them, she could freeze at the wrong moment and get herself killed. It would be better for her to stay behind and help secure the area when the security forces arrived.

Saxton went back to the pile of bodies and began gathering up their lasers. He gave one to Ensign Britt, and two each to Nader and Rentner. Saxton sent Britt back down to the front gate to send for help, then he and the other two Warriors made their way to the front entrance. There were no visible guards anywhere inside, so the three men made there way to the large glass doors. The doors slide open immediately when the Warriors approached, which was odd since they should have been locked at that centar. Saxton, Nader, and Rentner raced inside and took up covered position inside the large rotunda of the P.D.C. They listened intently for any sound that might tell of a hidden enemy. All that could be heard was the sound of the air cooling units thru the vents. Satisfied that they would not be attacked from anyone in the rotunda, the three men moved toward the elevators.

As they approached the elevators, Nader's foot hit something on the floor. It slid across the floor stopping next to where Rentner was. He looked down at the object and bent as if to pick it up.

"DON'T TOUCH THAT THING!" yelled Saxton.

Rentner snatched his hand away as if he had just pulled it from a container full of serpents.

"What is it?" Nader asked, looking at the strange object.

"It's a Cylon Agent Release Device. That's probably what killed all the security people out there." Saxton said. "There might still be some residue of the Phosogen V on it."

"Thanks for the warning sir!" Rentner said, cold sweat dripping from his brow.

Saxton chuckled, "No problem, you can buy me a drink some time. Right now, let's see if we can find out who's behind all this."

With that, they made their way to the elevator and headed for the Command Center. Nader placed his identification card into the key pad and entered his access code. The elevator began it's decent to the Command Center, deep beneath the P.D.C. main building.

"Does this thing stop at any other levels?" Saxton asked.

"Yeah, there's three levels in the Command Center, why?" Nader asked.

"What level would you be getting off at?" Saxton asked.

"Alpha Level, the top most. Why, whats wrong." Nader asked worriedly.

"Take us to the bottom level." Saxton said.

"Alright." Nader said and pressed the button for the lowest level of the Command Center. "Mind telling me why?"

"If you knew someone was one the way down and wanted to stop them, were would be the easiest place to do it?" Saxton asked.

Nader nodded his head, understanding what his friend was doing.

"You shoot them as they come off the elevator."

"Right! I'm hoping that by going to the lowest level, whoever is doing all this won't be able to get an easy shot at us." Saxton told them. "What's the layout outside the elevator on the lower level?"

"It's in a small alcove, out of site of the rest of the Command Center. We should be able to get off clean and find cover before anyone can start shooting at us." Nader told him.

"How many ways are there to go from one level to the next?" Saxton asked.

Nader thought for a moment. "There are four staircases and six ladders, plus one other elevator besides this one."

"Where will the closest stairs be from the elevator doors?" he asked.

"To the right, there's a door labeled "STAIRS". We can climb all the way to the top level thru there." Nader said.

"Good, then as soon as we stop, we hit those stairs and as quite as possible, we get to the top. Then we wait and see if I'm right about something." Saxton said. "And I pray that I'm wrong he added."

Just then, the elevator slowed. Saxton looked at his two comrades and nodded to them. Both gave faint smiles as they moved to the sides of the elevator car, away from doors. The elevator came to a halt and after a brief pause, the door swished open. Saxton leaped thru first, lasers leveled and ready to fire. Nader was right behind him, facing the opposite way. Rentner moved out behind the other two Warriors and stopped with his back to the wall opposite the elevator, lasers pointing in each direction. They were happy to find nobody waiting for them outside the elevator.

Saxton looked at Rentner and nodded toward the door to the stairs. Rentner nodded and moved across the open area to a place next to the door. Nader moved up behind Saxton on the other side of the door. Saxton motioned for Rentner to open the door. He reached for the handle and pulled the door open, allowing Saxton and Nader to rush thru and take up cover fire positions in the stair well. Rentner followed them thru the door and quietly closed the door behind them.

Then they made their way up the stairs to the next level. They halted there for a moment, listening to the sounds outside. Hearing nothing, Saxton cracked the door open just enough to peer out. He could see nothing, but heard what sounded like quick footsteps coming from the next level up. Obviously they were not alone in the Command Center. He listened for a moment, hearing a voice giving orders.

"Remember, stay out of site until they get all the way into the Command Center, then move in quickly and kill them. I don't want them to have a chance to get back on the elevator and escaping."

"Not a problem Commander, we've done this kind of thing before. Besides, there's only three of them and they don't know we're here." Someone else responded. "What's taking them so long to get here?"

"They most likely are looking for the guards that you disposed of. You did hide the bodies, didn't you?" said the first person.

Of course we did! We threw them into the foliage outside, someone would have to step on one them to find them." The second voice said.

Saxton closed the door and turned to Nader and Rentner.

"We have a big problem, there's a bunch of them up on the next level waiting for us. We need to find a way to get behind them. Is there a way to get to the other end of the Command Center without being seen?"

Nader and Rentner exchanged a glance, then Nader spoke.

"Not really! We can get to the rear stair well easy enough, but they'd be able see us from Alpha Level. We need a diversion, something to get their attention focused away from Beta Level long enough for us to get to the rear stairs."

Saxton thought for a moment, then looked at the other two.

"Alright, here's what we'll do." He said. And he began to explain his plan.

On the Alpha Level, seven men, all wearing Colonial Warrior uniforms were hiding behind desks and computer consoles, waiting for their intended victims. The leader of the group, wearing the uniform of a Colonial Commander with the sash of a Presidential Aid, sat at a desk near the wall farthest from the alcove that held the elevator. He stayed in plain site so as to draw the three Warriors that they had seen on the security monitor into the Command Center so his comrades could take them down in a cross fire. All of them were very calm, having been in situations like this before. All were professional mercenaries, selling their allegiances to the highest bidder. In this case, a tall, dark haired man calling himself Karibdis.

Their patience was wearing thin when they heard the elevator doors open up in the alcove. Now they only had to wait until their intended victims moved into position and then close the trap on them.

They waited silently for several centons, but no sign of anyone having exited the elevator was seen. This was the third time the elevator had moved without anyone getting off at their level. Something wasn't right. The mercenary leader stood up and silently moved forward toward the alcove, laser leveled. He stopped just outside the alcove and peered around the corner as far as he could.

He saw nothing.

He then looked back at his men and signaled for two of them to move up closer to the alcove entry. Using hand signals, he told the two men to rush the alcove. They nodded and they started a silent countdown from three. As they all hit one at the same time, all three men moved as one and charged thru the entry to the elevator alcove. With their weapons held waist high in front of them, they fanned back and forth, looking for their prey, but there was none to be had.

The alcove was empty!

The three merc's lowered their weapons in disappointment. They had been hoping to find the three Warriors there and blast them.

"FRAK!" the leader said as he turned to go back to The Command Center.

Just then, the door to the stairs burst open, laser blasts pouring out. One of the mercs was hit square in the chest while the other took a hit in the back. The merc leader, partially protected by one of his men's body, had just enough time to dive for cover and avoid being hit directly by the assault of laser fire. A glancing shot hit his right leg just above the ankle; causing a great deal of pain and making his foot go numb. He rolled behind a console and returned fire as best he could.

"That son of a daggit is good!" he thought to himself, having been caught so off guard.

Saxton had made his move at just the right moment. The intruders had done just as he had thought they would. They moved into the alcove ready for anything and when they found nobody there, they dropped their guard for just a micron. That was all he needed to kick open the door to the stairs and start firing. When the door flew open, he saw three targets right in front of him. He was able to get solid hits on the first two, putting them down without any problems. But the third one had reflexes like a serpent. He dove behind some equipment so fast; it was as if he had seen him coming out the door before he had kicked it open.

"That daggit spawn is good!" Saxton thought to himself.

Now there was an all out fire fight, and Saxton was very much out numbered. All he could really do was to fire into the Command Center randomly since trying to take aim would mean exposing himself, and he couldn't afford to do that. He was only trying to draw their attention anyway so Nader and Rentner could make it to the rear stairs and take them from behind. He just hoped they would get a move on and make their move quick, before the bad guy's could regroup and counterattack.

On Beta Level, Nader and Rentner sat in the alcove and waited. Saxton had told them to sit tight until all Hades broke loose up above, then the were to haul ass to the rear stairs and come up quick and out flank the intruders. A simple plan if Saxton didn't get himself blasted before they had the chance to help. Right now though, they had to wait. Nader took a quick peek around the corner to see if he could spot anyone on Alpha Level. From his vantage point, he was unable to see anyone. He then cast a glance toward the stairwell door at the far end of Beta Level. It was a straight shot, about fifty metrons long, with no real obstructions to dodge. They should be able to cover the distance in less then ten microns and be up on Beta Level within twenty. He only hoped Saxton could hold out that long.

At that moment, the sound of laser fire broke the near silence of the Command Center. Yells and screams of pain could be heard from above. Nader nudged Rentner, who was staring up at Alpha Level, and motioned for him to follow. With that, the two Warriors sprinted for the far stairwell.

In the alcove on Alpha Level, Saxton was making a good show of it. His wild firing had been rewarded with at least one sure hit on an intruder and a possible second hit on another. He might have been excited about this had he known how many intruders he was facing, but without any idea of their numbers, he couldn't begin to celebrate. Saxton stopped firing for a moment and listened. He was hoping to hear laser fire from the other end of the level, but heard none. He hoped that Nader and Rentner hadn't been spotted or worse, killed. Then he heard a voice calling to him.

"Warrior! Throw down your weapon and come out with your hands raised. You can't win Warrior. There's too many of us. Give up now, and we'll let you walk out of here unharmed. What do you say?"

Saxton leaned against the wall for a moment and laughed. Was this guy serious?

"I have a counter proposal, why don't you and all your friends throw down your weapons and surrender. There's no way you're going to get away. Give up now and I'll see to it they go easy on you!" Saxton yelled back.

The laughter from the Command Center was unmistakable.

"A very generous offer Warrior, but I'm afraid my colleagues and I will have to decline. You see, our business here is not yet complete." Came the reply.

"And what might that be?" Saxton challenged.

"Since it's doubtful that you'll be around much longer anyway, I think it's safe to tell you. We've turned off all the planetary defense systems, all the weapons, all the long range scanners, all the communications systems to the defense squadrons, everything has been shut down!"

"Why would you want to do that? What could you possibly gain by this?" Saxton yelled, not understanding what they hoped to gain by such actions.

"It's very simple Warrior, we have some "friends" arriving very shortly, and we wouldn't want them to be attacked before they had the chance to take care of their business."

Saxton instantly knew what they meant by "friends".

The Cylons!

"Are you all crazy? Do you know what the Cylons will do if they're allowed to come to the Colonies undetected? They'll destroy everything and everyone on all our planets!" Saxton yelled, not believing what these maniac's were doing.

"Not every planet, we made a deal with them. They'll spare our world, Pisceria if we help them destroy the rest of the colonies." The merc leader said.

"And you actually believe that felgercarb? How can you possibly believe the Cylons will honor any bargain?" Saxton yelled.

"Why wouldn't they honor the agreement, we're giving them what they want, victory over the Colonies. All we're asking for is for our planet to be spared. It's perfectly logical. We're no threat to them; Pisceria is a peaceful planet, not like Scorpio or Sagittara….. or Caprica!" the merc said.

Saxton couldn't believe what he was hearing. These people, whoever they were, had infiltrated one of the highest security area's in the Colonies and had, in effect, turned the entire Colonial defense network off. Now the Warriors of the Colonial Service were blind and deaf with who knows how many Cylons heading toward them. He had to stop this, and stop it NOW!

Just then, the sound of lasers was heard from the far end of the Alpha Level. Nader and Rentner had finally arrived. Saxton took a quick peek around the corner without exposing himself. He could see three men wearing Warrior uniforms, scrambling to gain cover from the laser fire coming from the other end of Alpha Level. This caused them to expose themselves to Saxton, who wasted no time in firing off several shots of his own. He found his mark twice as he was able to set up a crossfire with Nader and Rentner. The third man dove for cover away from Saxton's fire and found himself right in the line of fire from Nader, who hit the man square in the chest.

The merc leader could see now that they had been outflanked and now were out gunned. There would be no escaping from there now, no chance to enjoy the fruits of their labors of that night. There was only one thing he needed to do now, and that was to finish the job.

Saxton was attempting to move across to a better vantage point from where he hoped he could get a shot on the mercenary leader, when the man yelled out to him.

"HEY! Warrior! I want to make deal!" the merc said.

"No deals! Throw down your weapons and step out where I can see you. Do it now!" Saxton yelled.

"O.K., fine! Here comes my laser." The merc said.

A loud thump was heard as the laser hit the floor near the doorway to the alcove.

"Alright, now step out in the walkway with your hands on top of your head. Do it now!" Saxton ordered as he moved up to a position were he could see the whole Command Center. Saxton could see the man begin to stand up from behind a bank of computer terminals, his Commanders uniform ripped and torn in places and an ugly wound on his right leg. He moved gingerly toward the walkway, having to step over the body of one of his men, one that he had not known was even there. When the merc leader reached the walkway, he turned toward Saxton and smiled.

"That was kind of good shootin you did there Major. You'd make one Hades of a good mercenary if you ever wanted to give up being a Warrior."

Saxton couldn't help but smile back and said, "I don't think so, I'm picky as to where my pay vouchers come from."

"Cubit's are cubits. They all spend the same Major. Only difference is, there are a whole lot more of them to spend when you freelance." The merc said, still smiling as Nader and Rentner moved up from the other end of Alpha Level.

"Nice of you to join us." Saxton said with a smirk on his face.

"Seemed to me you had everything well in hand." Nader said with his own grin.

"Looks like we stopped them before they could do too much damage, though it might take a couple of sectons to put some of these work stations back together." Rentner said as he looked around.

That statement brought on a gale of laughter from the captured merc. All three Warriors stared at the man as one would stare at a lunatic.

"What in Sagen's name are you laughing at?" Nader asked, thinking the fellow had gone mad.

"Oh you might think we didn't do much, but we did much more then meets the eye." The merc said, still laughing. "See!"

That said, the man took his hands down from his head slowly and revealed a small device. It was little bit larger then a cubit and seemed to be made of a dark, synthetic material with what looked like two small lights on one side, one green, one red.

All three Warriors raised their weapons at the same time and backed off a few steps.

"What's that?" Saxton asked suspiciously.

"What, this little thing! It's nothing too important, just a detonator." He said ever so matter-a-factly.

"A detonator, what are you planning on doing? Blowing the Command Center up?" Nader asked.

The mercenary looked at Nader with a sly little smile that sent a chill up and down his spine.

"Not exactly!" he said.

"Then WHAT exactly do you want to blow up?" Saxton said, his laser leveled at the mans chest.

"You'll see!" he said, still smirking.

"I don't think so pal, I think you need to drop that thing right now!" Nader said as he raised his laser and took aim on the mans head.

"As you wish!" the merc said, still smiling.

"NO!" Saxton yelled.

The merc opened his hand and turned it palm down so as to let the small device slide from his hand. It fell to the floor and bounced a short distance. All three Warriors followed the device with their eyes as it came to a stop with the two lights on top. But something was different now. Where the green light had been on before, now the red light was on.

And it was flashing!

Saxton realized what the thing was now, a thermogenic detonator. They were activated by temperature, as long as they stayed within the pre-set temperature range, they were harmless, but once they went beyond those pre-sets, they automatically sent out their pulse signals to trigger any kind of device conceivable. And this one had just hit one of those pre-sets.

"You're going to tell me where those charges are and how long before those things blow?" Saxton yelled as he grabbed the merc by the front of his uniform and jamming the business end of his laser up under the mans chin, "or else!"

The merc laughed nervously, knowing that his next words could very well cost him his life.

"There on Delta Level, packed inside all the defense and communications control computers. They have a five centon delay. If you leave now, you might just make it out before the charges go off." He told Saxton.

"Holy frak! I don't believe this mong!" Nader said.

Saxton glanced at his friend then back to the merc.

"How can we stop this?" He asked.

The merc shook his head and with a resigned smile said, "There is no way to stop them. Once the signal is sent and received, it becomes automatic."

"What do we do Sax?" Nadir asked.

Saxton looked at his two comrades and without any hesitation tells them, "We get our asses out of here!"

"What about him?" Rentner asked, pointing at the merc, who Saxton hadn't realized that he had slammed him into a wall, nearly knocking him unconscious.

Saxton looked down on the groggy merc and was unsure wither or not to take him with them to face tribuneral, or leave him there to suffer the same fate he and his men had given the guards of the P.D.C.

"Take him with us. If we live thru this, he might be able to tell us who all the conspirators are. And I for one will be happy to hunt them down and bring them to justice!"

Cutting a piece of a power cord to bind the merc's hands behind him, Nader got the still wobbly man to his feet and moved him to the elevator alcove. The elevator arrived and the four men boarded. It rose quickly to the street level, where when the doors opened; the four men came face to face with a full squad of Colonial Security.

"Nobody move!" yelled the officer in charge, a man of about forty yahren wearing the rank insignia of a Captain. "Raise your hands and place them on top of your heads! Do it now!"

Saxton, Nader, and Rentner complied with the order while the merc was unable to do so because of his restraints. Saxton began to identify himself and his men, but was told to remain silent, an order punctuated by the muzzle of a laser rifle being forcefully jammed into his temple.

The security officers moved the four out of the elevator and out into the open area of the lobby. There, the Captain of the security team moved in front of them.

"On your knee's, ankles crossed and keep your hands on top of your heads." He ordered.

Saxton and the others did as they were told. Saxton again tried to explain what was going on.

"Captain, my name is Saxton, Major Saxton. I'm a squadron leader from the Battlestar Atlantia. These two men……."

"I said be quite!" the Captain ordered.

"NO, you be quite!" Saxton yelled, his anger having reached the boiling point. "You need shut up and listen! I'm trying to tell you there are bombs down in the Command Center and their about to go off. Now get these people out of here, NOW!"

The Captain was about to strike Saxton with his laser rifle, but the word bombs stopped him in his tracks.

"What do you mean there's bombs in the Command Center?"

Saxton took a breath, then began to explain.

"That's right Captain, bombs! That man, he said indicating the mercenary in the Commanders uniform, and his group took over the P.D.C. and set a bunch of bombs down on the Delta Level. Their set to go off in less then two centons! You have to get every one out of this building."

The Captain stared at Saxton for a moment, trying to gage wither or not he was telling the truth. If he was, then it was imperative that they clear the building at once.

The Captain nodded slowly, then turned to his Sergeant, "Sergeant Reeb, recall all personnel and clear the building. There are bombs down on Delta Level about to go off. Lieutenant Hahn, move these men out and hold them for questioning, especially that one!" he said indicating the merc.

The Lieutenant cut the power cord from the merc's wrists and replaced it with a set of binders. Then he and several other men escorted the four out of the building and down to a Colonial Security Mobil Command Post. The Captain and Sergeant Reeb waited by the elevator for the men that had gone down to the Command Center to look for more of the reported terrorist. It seemed to take forever before the elevator finally made it back to the main level. As soon as the doors opened, the Captain ordered his men to run for the exits and clear the area. The six man search team, Sergeant Reeb and the Captain all ran for their lives.

The eight men had just reached the doors to the building when the ground began to shake violently and a loud rumbling could be heard coming from the building. They continued to run as the ground beneath their feet seemed to come to life and rise up behind them, sending them sprawling head first. The Captain turned and looked back at the P.D.C. building; there he saw a horrific site. The entire building was shaking violently, causing every glass window and door in the place to shatter.

Then the building seemed to sink!

It was as if a huge hammer had just hit the building on the top and drove it thirty metrons into the ground, then it began to lean to one side. Exterior walls began to crumble as the buildings own weight began to tear it apart. The amount of lean increased with each passing micron, until finally, gravity took over and the once majestic building that had housed the P.D.C. came tumbling down.

Everyone who was there and had just witnessed what had happened stood there in shock. The P.D.C. building, which had stood well over a hundred metrons high, was now nothing more then a pile of rubble some forty metrons high and seventy metrons long. Only the fact that it had stood within a large, fenced security area had kept it from crushing any other buildings.

Sergeant Reeb made his way over to where the Captain still sat on the ground, looking at what had once been one of the most important buildings in the Colonies.

"Captain, are you alright? Are you injured? Do you need any medical assistance sir?" Reeb asked.

The Captain shook his head slowly, unable to take his eyes off the pile of rubble that sat less then TEN METRONS from where he now sat.

"Two microns!" he whispered. "Just two more microns and I wouldn't have made it."

The Sergeant could see that his squad leader was in shock, and with good reason. He motioned for the medtechs to come and assist the Captain. Then he went back to the command post.

At the mobile command post, Saxton, Nader, and Rentner had all been witness to the destruction of the P.D.C. building.

"Good Lords of Kobol! Did you see that?" Nader exclaimed.

"I saw it. By the Gods, I saw it!" Saxton said in a shocked voice.

Saxton turned at the sound of someone laughing to find the mercenary, now fully conscious, standing and staring at the ruins of the P.D.C. building laughing. Many of those standing near by also heard this and moved closer to see if this man was going mad or just a sadistic piece of daggit mong. The words that the merc spoke next told everyone there that both were correct.

"Beautiful! Simply beautiful! That couldn't have worked out better if I had planned it that way." He said with a look of sheer glee on his face. Then he turned to Saxton and asked, "What do you think Major? Was that the most beautiful thing you've ever seen in your life or what?"

Saxton had reached the end of his rope with that traitor. With the speed of a man driven by pure rage, Saxton charged the merc and struck him in the face with a fist to the mans jaw. One could hear the jawbone snap as the punch landed from ten metrons away.

"You traitorous piece of mong! You stand there laughing after you murdered all those people and help destroy our defenses for the Cylons!" Saxton yelled as he pounded the mercenary with his fists.

Several of the Colonial Security officers, shaken from the horror of the P.D.C.'s destruction, moved quickly to pull the enraged Warrior off the lunatic that had been laughing before.

Lieutenant Hahn fired a blast from his sidearm into the air, getting the attention of all those present and restoring some semblance of order.

"What's going on here?" Hahn asked angrily.

"Ask him! Ask him why he killed all of those security people. Ask him why he and his men blew up the P.D.C. Go ahead, ask him!" Saxton challenged.

Hahn looked from Saxton to the merc, who was being held upright by two of the security officers, bleeding from the nose and mouth, his jaw clearly broken and dislocated.

"Is what he says true? Did you kill all those security officers and set those bombs? Are you working for the Cylons?" Hahn asked.

The merc stared at the young security officer thru eyes that were beginning to swell shut from the beating he received from Saxton. He smiled at the young man and again, began to laugh. Though he could hardly speak, the merc still managed to answer.

"Yes, I did all that….. and more." He slurred out, blood dripping from his shattered jaw.

Hahn was shocked. This man had just admitted to being in league with the Cylons and committing heinous crimes against the Colonies and mankind. Hahn wondered how such evil could manifest itself in a human being. Anger began to build in him at the admission of these crimes, but he kept a calm, professional demeanor on the outside.

"Why would you betray humanity to the Cylons? What could they possibly have promised you to sell out your entire species?" Hahn asked.

The merc tried to stand up straight, but was unable to. He glared at those around him with a hatred in his eyes that none of them had ever seen before.

"You want to know why? I'll tell you why, because the people of Pisceria are tired of being treated like the slaves of the Colonies. We have always been treated as second class citizens by the other colonies. Sure, we're not one of the cultural giants of the colonies like Caprica, or a military power like Sagittara or Scorpio. We don't have the great shipyards like Virgon. We don't have anything that sets us apart from the rest of the colonies except that we're the closest colony to Cylon space and we're the colony that has taken the biggest losses during this war! Over thirty percent of the casualties in this war have come from Pisceria. And yet, we are one of the poorest and technologically deprived of the colonies. Oh yes, I know the standard government story, "We can't afford to give Pisceria the more advanced weapons and defense systems because the chances are far too great that the Cylons might be able to capture them and use the technology against us." Well, by doing that, you just made it easier for them to convince us that we'd be better off without you. So a group of us have made a deal with the Cylons. We help them destroy all of you, and we stay safe and sound and become the new masters of the colonies."

The Captain of the security team walked up next to Hahn and placed a hand on the young officer's arm.

"He's totally mad! I want you to take him back to the prison unit and hold him there until a psychological evaluation can be made on him."

Yes sir, what do you want to do with the other three that were on the elevator?" said Hahn.

"I'll want them to answer some questions. I want to know……do you hear that? The Captain said as the distant sound of space craft engines was heard.

"Holy frak!" exclaimed Nader as he stared off in the distance where wave upon wave of Cylon fighters could be seen sweeping down out of the night sky over Caprica City. Huge explosions could be seen where the Cylons were making strafing runs and dropping thermite bombs on the capital city of the colonies. Every eye was transfixed on the horror that was unfolding before them.

The Colonies were under direct attack by the Cylons!

Major Saxton was the first to regain is composure and began giving orders.

"Alright listen up people! We need to get some kind of defense started. Captain, how many men do you have with you?"

The Captain was caught off guard by the question by someone he considered his prisoner, but answered it anyway.

"I have two score with me here on scene and another three score at our division headquarters."

"Good, get them all mobilized and have them go to the aerodrome near the industrial section and set up a defensive perimeter. Do they have access to any anti- fighter weapons?" Saxton asked.

"Some, but nothing heavy enough to beat back an all out attack. Just a few shoulder fired Solonite missiles."

"Frak! Well take all of them you can. Are there any anti-fighter laser turrets around here?" Saxton asked.

"Yeah, I know where some are." Nader said.

"Good, you and Rentner come with me." Saxton said, then he turned to the Captain and said. "Captain, I need a couple of your people to come with me."

"What for?" he asked.

"We're going to try and knock down a few of those Cylons."

The Captain looked at him somewhat confused.

"I may not be a genius, but didn't that maniac just blow up the entire defense system in there?" he said, pointing at the fallen building.

"He only destroyed the central command and control system. The anti-fighter laser turrets are still there and can be operated manually." Nader said, looking at Saxton with a smile as he realized what he was wanting to do.

"Sergeant, take charge here. Get everyone over to the aerodrome, secure the area and set up a defensive perimeter. Have Lieutenant Hahn move the division to the aerodrome as soon as he gets rid of that traitor." The Captain ordered.

"Yes sir." Reeb acknowledged.

"Alright Major, let's go!" he said.

Saxton nodded and they all took off toward one of the Security hovermobiles. The four of them took off toward the city as the attack seemed to be intensifying over the city. Nader pulled the hovermobile up to a tall building at the edge of the city. The four men piled out and followed Nader to a hatch near where they had parked. He quickly punched in a security code on the key pad next to the hatch and the light on the pad changed from red to green. Nader grabbed the handle and pulled the hatch open. The four men climbed thru and Nader secured the hatch behind them. They went down a short passageway to an elevator and boarded it. They rose very fast and soon exited into a small room with four passageways leading off in different directions.

"Alright, this is the main control room for this turret group. Each of those passageways leads to one of the laser turrets. Take your pick and climb in, I'll talk you thru the start up and operations from mine." Nader said.

The four men split up and ran down the passageways. At the end of the passageway, Saxton found a ladder which he climbed up to a hatch, which he opened and climbed inside. There he found a small room loaded with equipment all centered around a chair in the middle of the room. He climbed in to the chair and began looking things over. He quickly found a headset hanging from a hook and placed it on his head. He immediately heard Nader on the other end.

"Do you all hear me? Talk to me people."

"I hear ya Nader, what do we do now?" Saxton said.

"Let me get the other two online Sax and I'll run thru the startup."

Nader said.

A micron later, the other two came online. Nader began to run thru the startup sequence for manual operation of the laser turrets.

"Alright, first look directly in front of you. You have a large monitor." Nader began. "Under that, there's a panel with a bunch of toggles. Switch all of those toggles to the "ON" position. This will turn on the energizers for your turret."

Saxton found the toggles and began flipping them on. As each toggle was flipped, bank after bank of lights came on all around him. The sound of powerful energizers powering up could be felt more then heard thru the seat of the turret.

"Now, flip the toggles on the right hand panel of your gunnery chair, this will activate the turrets tracking and fire control systems. Next, flip the toggles on the left hand panel, that will activate your gunnery scanners and the targeting systems. Now you need to activate your monitors, press the two buttons on the low corners of the screen."

Saxton did this and slowly the screen came to life. The middle of the screen had a grid pattern similar to that found in a Viper, only much larger. Along the edges of the monitor, several readouts could be seen. Those on the left side showed the gunnery positions: direction and elevation of the guns. The right side readouts showed power levels and operational systems status.

"Alright, you should have your screens up and power to all systems. Now place your feet on the pedals of the gunnery chair and pull the weapons control column towards you. There should be a release lever just under the handles, pull that down and lock it in."

Saxton did this. He wasn't sure if he liked the way this felt, not being able to see what he was shooting at. He would much rather be in his Viper at that moment.

"Alright, now the fun begins. On the top of the control column, there's two toggles marked turret release and weapons release. Flip the "TURRET" release toggle only. This will let you rotate the turret and raise and lower the guns. To rotate, press lightly on one of the foot pedals, left to turn left, right to turn right."

Saxton flipped the toggle and lightly pressed on the right pedal. The turret began to turn to the right, slowly at first then quicker as more pressure was applied. A quick tap on the left pedal slowed the turret to a stop. On the monitor, the numbers on the screen changed quickly as he moved. These numbers let him know which way he was facing, a very helpful tool.

"Now take hold of the two handles on the side of the column. By rotating them forward and back, you control the elevation of the guns, or the angle you're firing at. You'll be able to fire in almost every direction; there are however safety stops that keep the guns from being able to fire at each other, so don't worry about hitting one of the other turrets. It might take a few centons to get the hang of using these controls so run thru a few movements."

Saxton ran thru a few turns back and forth and raised and lowered the guns several times. The reaction time for these turrets was phenomenal, but he still preferred his Viper.

"Alright, this is the last step. Flip the other toggle, the one marked "WEAPONS RELEASE". Once you do that, your guns are hot! To fire, all you have to do is squeeze the trigger. So, aim your guns in a safe direction and fire off a test round or two."

Saxton squeezed the trigger and instantly, two bolts of laser fire erupted from the guns of his turret. They flew out to a range of over five thousand metrons before exploding. The power levels on one of the readout showed that the energy released was fifty times that of his Viper. He never knew that the ground fire units had so much fire power.

Nader ask if everyone was up and running. He got confirmations from each one and then told them, "Good thing you're all ready, because here come our first customers now!"

Saxton checked his display. Sure enough, two full phalanxes of Cylon fighters were heading their way. He swung his guns around so he could begin firing as soon as they were in range. Just then a question came to him.

"Hey Nader, what do we do if we get hit?"

Nader's voice was filled with laughter as he answered his friend.

"Don't worry; these turrets can take a few direct hits without any real problems. But if you do have a problem, like you lose power or you don't have full mobility to the turret, then you do this. First, unlock your control column and push it away from you to the original position you found it in. Then tighten down your safety harnesses and remove your headsets. There are two handles on the top of your seats, you'll reach up and pull those handles down to your waist. This will release a safety shroud to protect you. You'll want to brace yourself and hold on to those handles because three microns after you pull those handles, you get "turboflushed" out of there and down to the ground level escape area. Understand?"

"Sounds like fun!" Saxton said unenthusiastically.

"On your toes people, here they come!" the security Captain said as the Cylon fighters descended toward them.

"Hold your fire until your range finder has them within three thousand metrons, otherwise they might not come within range. Make them come to you for the easy shot." Nader called out on the gunnery headsets.

Sweat began the form on Saxton's brow as he watched the readout on the range finder wind down. He tried to calm himself by taking deep, controlled breaths. It seemed to help. He glanced at the range finder again. It was down to eight thousand metrons and dropping fast. He squirmed in his seat a bit, trying to get more comfortable, but couldn't find a comfortable way to sit, just like his Viper.

"Five thousand metrons people, get ready." Nader said. "Remember to lead your targets a little bit and fire in spurts, otherwise you can overheat the guns. Just relax guys and have fun!"

"Have fun he say's" the Security Captain grumbled.

"Hey Captain, do you have a name? I mean something besides Captain?" Saxton asked.

"Yeah, names Sauer." He said.

"Nice to meet you Captain Sauer, I'm Major Saxton. The other two are Captain Nader and Ensign Rentner. Just thought it would be nice to know who I was going into battle with."

"Standby guys, four thousand metrons and closing." Nader said, the excitement beginning to show in his voice. Nader began to count down the distance as the Cylons continued to close.

"Thirty five hundred and closing!"

Saxton tightened his grip a bit on the control handles.

"Thirty four hundred!"

Saxton watched his monitor as it filled with targets.

"Thirty three hundred!"

Now individual ships could be distinguished.

"Thirty two hundred!"

Saxton closed his eyes for a moment of silent prayer.

"Thirty one hundred!"

Saxton's eyes opened with the same intensity that he always had when he went into battle in his Viper.

"Three thousand metrons, open fire!" Nader yelled into the headsets.

A roar of unimagined volume rang out as all four turrets opened fire at the same instant. An eruption of laser fire rose skyward to meet the oncoming Cylons. Tremendous explosions appeared all across the sky as dozens of fighters were destroyed by the torrent of laser fire coming from the four Warriors. And yet, they continued to come on. For every ten they shot out of the sky, two dozen more seemed to appear from thin air. For nearly five centons it went this way, then the attacking ships veered off and climbed away, out of range of the menacing guns.

"Alright! We did it! We beat them!" yelled Rentner over the headsets.

"Don't bet on it kid! They're not done yet, not by a long shot. They're regrouping, getting ready for another run at us, only this time they'll be coming in from multiple vectors." Nader said, "Be ready to cover your sectors when they come back."

"Looks like they're on their way back now. I have them approaching from three different vectors." Sauer said.

"Alright, their coming in right at you Sax. Sauer, their going to try and sweep by you on your right side, then swing around and take us between you and me. Rentner, their going to try and come in between you and Sax. You'll have to protect his flank while I watch Sauer's. Everyone understand?" Nader asked.

All three acknowledged and prepared for the next round of attacks.

As soon as the attacking Cylons came into range, Saxton and Sauer began sweeping the sky with laser fire. Scores of Cylon fighters were destroyed as they continued on course toward their antagonists. Once they had reached their own weapons range, the Cylons opened fire. At the same moment, groups of fighters spilt off from the main body and tried to come in on the flanks of the human gunners.

This was exactly what Nader said would happen!

As soon as these groups split off, Nader and Rentner opened up with a vengeance, sending a hailstorm of laser fire skyward. Dozens of fighters were blown to pieces by the intense firepower of the four human gunners. It took only a few centons for the Cylon pilots to realize that they would not be able to overcome the fierce firepower of these defenders. The flight leader for the Cylons ordered his few remaining fighters to retreat. With the order given, all the remaining fighters turned away and rose high into the sky, away from the guns of the humans.

Nader checked his scanners for more targets, then switched his display to long range scan, he found that most of the Cylon fighters in the area were in fact returning to space. He wondered if they had beaten them back or if they were just regrouping for an even more deadly attack. His thoughts were interrupted by Saxton's voice.

"Hey Nader, you alright over there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was checking the long range scanners. Looks like their pulling out for the time being. Wish I knew what they were up to." Nader said thoughtfully.

"Who cares, as long as their gone!" Rentner said tiredly.

"Can you pick up their baseships?" Sauer asked.

"Normally I could, but it looks like the Cylons knocked out a good portion of our orbital scanner satellites. There's a few large gaps in the scans I'm getting here." Nader told them. "Too bad the P.D.C. building was destroyed; I could have linked to the Colonial Defense Network from there and used every satellite in orbit anywhere in Colonial space."

"You could do that?" Sauer asked amazedly.

"You'd have been surprised at the things we could do from the P.D.C. Captain." Nader said with a touch of mischief in his voice.

Just then something came up on Nader's screen. He made a few adjustments to try and identify the contact, but the scanner equipment in the laser turrets just wasn't made for that kind of work. After a few microns though, he didn't need anymore fine tuning to identify the incoming ship.

It was a Battlestar!

"Hey guys! Help has just arrived. We have a Battlestar heading this way." Nader told them.

"I guess that explains why the Cylons left in such a hurry." Saxton said. "Can you tell which Battlestar it is?"

"Not with this equipment. I might be able to raise them on one of the military frequencies though." Nader said as he tried to tap in to the proper frequencies. After a few centons, he finally made contact with the Battlestar.

"Incoming Battlestar, this is Captain Nader of the Planetary Defense Command. Please identify yourself."

"Captain Nader, this is Colonel Tigh, executive officer of the Battlestar Galactica. What is your situation there and status?"

"We've spent the past few centars under heavy Cylon attack Colonel. Saboteurs have destroyed the P.D.C. Command Center, so we have no defensive abilities at this time." Nader responded.

"Understood Captain, what is your present location?" Colonel Tigh asked.

"I and three others are in Defense Tower Omega Four sir." Nader told him.

"Are you the senior officer there Captain?" the Colonel asked.

"Negative sir, that would be Major Saxton."

"Saxton! From the Atlantia?" Tigh asked with an astonished tone.

"Yes sir, it's me Colonel!" Saxton cut in.

"How can that be? You were with the Atlantia last I heard. What happened Major?" Tigh asked.

"It's a long story Colonel; needless to say, I'm here and ready to get back in the fight sir!"

"With what's happened Major, we'll need you. You and all those you have there with you." Tigh said sadly.

"What's happened Colonel? Tell me this was just a one time attack!" Saxton said.

"I wish I could Major, but this could very well be the beginning of the end for us all. All of the other colonies have come under attack. Nearly every planetary defense system has been destroyed; billions of our people have been killed or injured in the attacks." Tigh told him.

"What about the fleet Colonel? Where are they? Where's the Atlantia? The Solaria? The Pacifica? Where's the Council of the Twelve Colonel." Saxton asked, fearing that he already knew the answer.

"The council and the fleet are gone Major! All destroyed at the "peace conference"."

Saxton sat in stunned silence, the fleet…..gone! The council…..gone! The Atlantia…..All Gone! It was unbelievable!

"Major, I need you to make your way to the nearest aerodrome and secure a landing field for our shuttles and Vipers. We'll be needing someplace for a staging area cleared. Can you do that Major?" Tigh asked.

Saxton was unable to speak, the emotions of losing so many good friends had silenced him for the time.

"Colonel, this is Captain Sauer, Colonial Security. I've already sent my unit to secure the aerodrome in the industrial section of the city. They should be there now if you think that will fill your needs sir?"

"I think it'll do just fine Captain. Alert them to standby to receive shuttles and Vipers within the next centar. See if you and those with you can rendezvous with our teams there. Galactica out!"

The comline went silent as the Galactica terminated the transmission. Nobody said a word for several moments, each lost in their own thoughts. It was sexton that broke the silence.

"Alright everyone, you all heard the Colonel. Let's get moving. Nader, is there some way to put these guns on automatic?" He asked.

"Yeah, I can set them up for localized control from the main control room. The computer will be able to operate this tower." He said.

"Good, go ahead and set that up. Sauer, you, Rentner and I will head back down to ground level and see if the hovermobile is still in one piece."

Several centons later, Nader emerged from the hatch. He made his way over to the hovermobile, where the other three were already inside. He climbed into the front seat and turned to face Saxton, who was sitting in the rear seat.

"All set! That tower will continue to operate as long as it has power."

"Good, let's hope that it won't be necessary. We've been listening to the com signals from the other colonies; it sounds like the Cylons did a number on all the other planets, including Pisceria!" Saxton said, adding the last with a bit of a chuckle.

"Serves them right! Bunch of damn traitors is all they are anyway." Rentner said.

"I doubt that more then a few dozen people were in on this conspiracy." Sauer said.

"We may never know how far this conspiracy went, or who was involved. All we can do is hope to survive and live to fight another day." Saxton said.

All four men sat silent for a few moments, then Saxton said, "Let's get going Sauer. We have to get to the aerodrome before the Galactica's shuttles start landing."

"Right, I wonder what we'll do now?" Sauer said to no one unparticular.

With that said, the hovermobile pulled away from the laser defense tower and headed for the aerodrome, and an uncertain future.


	7. Exodus

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter Seven**

**Exodus**

In the centars that followed the devastation of the sneak attacks on the twelve colonies of man, both the best and the worst traits of humanity could be seen. People preformed acts of unspeakable gallantry in their efforts to save the victims of the attacks, braving possible death to rescue total strangers trapped in the ruble.

By the same token, there were also those that committed heinous crimes against the dead and injured. Individuals and packs of two legged vermin moved thru the darkness, stealing and robbing from the dead and near dead. What little resistance an injured person could make was quickly ended with quick, silent blows or the wielding of a blade. The laws of humanity had been destroyed as easily as the buildings in the attacks.

But there was one voice of reason amongst all to chaos, one voice that gave hope to those in this sea of utter despair. One man became a beacon of hope for all who heard his message.

This was Commander Adama.

He, who was the last surviving member of the Council of the Twelve and Commander of the Battlestar Galactica had come forth in the colonies centar of greatest need and given the people the will to go on. He sent word to all the home worlds to gather the survivors of this holocaust and to set sail in whatever ships they could and rendezvous with the Galactica. Then he would lead them away from the destruction to a place of safety, where they might live in peace and rebuild that which they had just lost.

It was a noble idea, but the truth of the matter was becoming quite evident.

There were far too few ships to take all of the survivors to safety. Throughout the colonies, the same scene was being played out as at every aerodrome, thousands of survivors tried to gain passage on the few ships available. People desperate to flee the colonies pushed and shoved one another in an attempt to board one of the ships. Fights broke out constantly as tempers flared white hot. There were beatings and stabbings in nearly every city as panic stricken people made every effort to escape.

On could see civilization disintegrate right before their eyes!

It was at one of these aerodromes that Major Saxton, Captain Nader, Captain Sauer and Ensign Rentner had been assigned by Colonel Tigh to help sort through the masses of humanity for those people that were as he put it, "Those with desirable skill's and training", and get them aboard the ships before the Cylons could return for a second go around. They had Captain Sauer's security division there to try and maintain some semblance of order while the four Warriors checked the identification cards of the people vying for a chance to live. Things were tense at best, and at times, had gotten near riotous as false reports of a Cylon attack fleet heading their way spread like wildfire, causing hundreds of terrified people to flee for their lives, thus losing their places in the long lines. Lieutenant Hahn of the security force had spotted several groups of people that used this ploy to move up in the lines. As each group would make it to the front, Hahn and a security detachment would take them aside and escort them to the back of the lines, letting them know that they would not be given a second chance to board if they caused anymore trouble.

They had been at it for nearly six centars when a message came thru over the comset Saxton was wearing. The look on his face told them all that the news was not good!

"Galactica control to all ground units, this is a priority Alpha alert. You are ordered to cease boarding operations immediately and have all ships in your area launch immediately. I say again! You are to cease boarding operations immediately and launch all ships. An incoming Cylon task force has been spotted moving at high speed toward the colonies. Estimate five centars till they come within scanner range of the colonies. All ground units are to secure your positions until all ships have launched and then proceed to your transports for immediate evacuation. All ground units are to acknowledge."

Saxton couldn't believe what he had just heard. He looked out at the thousands of people outside the fences, hoping and praying for a chance to live. How could he just close the gates on them and leave them to die at the hands of the Cylons? He was beside himself.

"Nader! Sauer! Come over here for a moment." He called to his comrades.

The two men came over and knew instantly that he had bad news.

"We've been ordered to shut down and launch all ships immediately." He told them.

"Are they crazy? Do they know how many people we still have down here? They can't be serious!" Nader said quietly.

"I know what you mean, but those are the orders. The problem is that once we shut the gates, these people will start rioting and could get themselves hurt or even killed if they rush the field. We need to buy a few centons so we can close the gates and launch those ships without anyone getting hurt." Saxton said.

"What difference will it make if they die trying to board a ship while it's launching or waiting for the Cylons to blast them?" Sauer said.

Saxton nodded his head glumly. Then an idea came to him.

"Sauer, have all ships begin launching immediately. Then tell your security people to stand by to repel rioters from charging the ships. Nader, you come with me." Saxton said.

Sauer moved off to do as he was told while Saxton and Nader returned to the gate. The people had gotten very antsy when the gates were closed and the three Warriors stepped away for a few moments. Shouts of concern could be heard as Saxton and Nader returned.

"What's going on? Why have you stopped letting people in?"

"Are the Cylons coming back?"

"Did the Galactica leave? Have we been left behind?"

Saxton looked at the throngs of people and put on what he hoped was a look of confidence.

"Can I have your attention please?" Saxton said into a microphone hooked up to a loud speaker. "There is nothing to worry about! The Galactica has not left us behind and the Cylons are not coming back! However, the ships we have here are now full. Therefore, we will be launching them so as to clear room on the field for more ships to land. This should only take a few centons. We ask for your cooperation in this matter."

The people seemed to believe him as they stayed relatively calm as they watched the fourteen ships that had been loading at that facility rise into the early morning sky and sail off into space, never suspecting that there were no more ships arriving.

Nader walked over to where Saxton now stood talking into his headset. The conversation was one that he had hoped was not taking place.

"I understand that Colonel, but I have several thousand people here still waiting for transport. What am I suppose to tell them? "Sorry, but there are no more ships so you'll have to take your chances with the Cylons!". Is that what you want me to tell these people?" Saxton said angrily into his headset.

"I understand your anger Major, but there are no more ships available. Every ship that could lift off the ground has been put into service and loaded with as many survivors as possible. The only thing you can do now is to get your people out of there and get back to the Galactica. There's nothing more we can do for the rest. I'm sorry." Tigh's voice trembled slightly with the emotion he felt.

"I don't know if I can do that sir. I don't think I can just leave all these people behind like that. There are several ships down here that I believe can be made space worthy with just a little bit of work. I'd like permission to try and get them operational." Saxton said.

A new voice came on the comline then.

"Major Saxton, this is Commander Adama. I understand your feelings in this matter, but I must insist that you and your team return to the Galactica immediately. The Cylons are on their way back and we have to be away before they get within scanner range of the colonies or they'll be able to track us. We have less then three centars to make good our escape."

"I understand sir, but I really believe I can get one or two of these ships back in action. We should be able to get another three to four thousand people on these ships. It's worth a shot anyway Commander. I'll send the rest of my people back to the Galactica; I'll stay here and do the work myself. Please Commander, give me a chance to save these people! PLEASE sir!" Saxton pleaded.

There was a silent pause on the comlink for several moments before Adama answered.

"How long do you think it will take to repair those ships Major?"

"I only gave them a quick look, but I didn't see any major problems and the work orders detail only minor repairs on three of the ships. With a bit of luck and maybe a little help, I could have all three up and running in four centars." Saxton guessed.

There was another pause before Adama answered.

"It goes against my better judgment Major, but if there's a chance of saving more of our people, then I have to give it to you. But you'll only have three centars to do it. Any longer then that and the Cylons would be able to track our ion trail. We can not afford to let them find us once we leave the colonies. Is that understood?" Adama said emphatically.

"I understand sir; I'll get started right away!" Saxton said, relieved that he would not have to disobey a direct order from the Commander, something he would have done had his request been denied.

"Good luck and god speed to you Major, Galactica out!"

Saxton turned to find Nader standing behind him, smiling!

"I guess you heard?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, I heard. So what do you want to start on first? That old starliner could hold the most people, but it needs a new energizer put in and that would take two or three days." Nader began, but was cut off by his friends raised hand.

"Wait a centon pal, I can't ask you to stay here and risk being left behind. This is my gamble; I'll not risk anyone's life except my own.

"Fine, then I'll stay of my own accord then. Listen, one way or another I'm staying to help, so you might as well quit arguing and tell me which of these beasts you think we can revive." Nader said jovially.

"That goes for me too!" Rentner said as he approached the two senior officers. "Besides, we're going to have to tell these folks something pretty soon. Their getting a little nervous since no other ships have shown up like you promised."

Saxton and Nader looked back toward the gates, there they saw that the people in fact were getting somewhat agitated. If they didn't do something quick, they would have a full scale riot on their hands. Saxton went back over to the gates to try and calm things down, but had little success. Everyone there just kept asking the same question …Where are the ships you said were coming?

Saxton picked up the microphone and began to speak.

"Can I have your attention please? I need you all to quiet down and listen."

After a few moments, things quieted down.

"I have some rather dyer news, the Galactica has picked up a Cylon task force heading back toward the colonies. They will arrive within the next four centars."

Panic sweep thru the crowd at hearing this news. Some people began to run away, probably to hide. Others began to cry, while still others kneeled down and began to pray. Then there those that began getting belligerent and hostile. They began yelling obscenities at the Warriors and security personnel and even throwing things. The situation was deteriorating fast.

"Alright listen up, all of you!" Saxton yelled into the mic, drawing his sidearm and firing a warning volley into the air. "Violence and hysteria are not going to help right now! What we need is anyone with any knowledge of spaceship repair. If you've worked at any of the shipyards or have done any kind of industrial work on spacecraft, then I need you to step forward now!"

Several people raised their hands and made their way to the gates. Saxton and Nader checked their identification cards and ran them thru their data base. Sure enough, fourteen people with shipyard experience had come forward, including a foreman from the Caprican Shipyards. Saxton let these people thru the gate and took them off to the side to explain what he wanted to do.

"Okay, here's the deal. Commander Adama gave me three centars to get as many of these ships repaired and in the air as possible. A lot of these ships need very simple repairs done to make them space worthy. I think if we can get at least three of the larger ships fixed, we can get damn near everyone here of the planet in that time. At least that's what I'm hoping to do, but I'll need your help. Can you help me save these people?"

All of the men and women standing there nodded and assured Saxton they would do whatever it took to get these ships going. Saxton turned to the man from the Caprican Shipyards.

"Since you have the most experience here, I want you to look over the work orders for these ships and pick the ships that we can fix the fastest. Larger ships would be preferred, but if we can't get them, don't waste your time, we don't have much left." Saxton said.

"Understood, do you have the work orders handy?" the man said.

Nader handed him a small electronic list of work orders for the ships there at the aerodrome. He ran thru the list and made a few notations on it, then began nodding his head.

"From what I see here, I can probably give you four ships in three centars. Two of those fairly large freighters, the others are that old starliner over there and that space bus." He said pointing to the different ships.

Saxton followed his gestures and asked, "Are you sure about that starliner? I thought it needed a new energizer."

"It does, but from what I'm seeing here, the new energizer has already been put inside, it just needs to be hooked up and run thru a diagnostic test. That should only take a centar for a couple of people."

"Excellent! Get started on that one right away then." Saxton said, smiling at Nader who looked a little embarrassed for not reading the whole work order.

"Right!" the man said and he dispatched two of the shipwrights to attend to the starliner.

"By the way, what's your man friend?" Saxton asked.

"My name's Darden." He answered.

"Okay Darden, you take charge of the repairs while I try and organize some of these people into groups to hunt down food, water and medicines for the trip. If you need anything, Captain Nader here will help you out." Saxton said.

With that, Saxton went to gather volunteers to gather the necessary items they'd need for the trip. He arrived at the gate to find a large number of people had left. He went over to where Lieutenant Hahn stood inside the gate and asked where they all went.

"I don't know sir. When you told them about that Cylon task force heading this way, about half of them took off like scared hoppers. The ones that were causing trouble left a few centons ago to Sagen only knows where. The rest are like you see them, mostly just standing around waiting for some kind of miracle I guess!"

Saxton moved up to the gate and stepped thru it. This made the security officers nervous because of the anger that was aimed at him earlier. He waved them back when a couple of them started to follow him out.

"Can I have your attention please?" he said in a loud voice. The people began to move towards him when they saw who it was and where he was. Maybe, they thought, he had some good news for them.

"Friends, I'm sorry about the lies I had to tell you about the Cylons not coming and the ships coming, but believe me, it was for your own good that I did this. Many of you would have been hurt, or even killed in the mad rush for the ships and even more injured when the ships did take off. It was the only way I knew to protect you from…… well, yourselves!"

Saxton looked around him at the faces in the crowd. He saw many emotions playing across their faces, anger, shock, fear, sympathy, and understanding.

"What we are trying to do now, is get several of these ships that were here for repair work fixed. If we can get them up and running, we should be able to get off the planet and rendezvous with the Galactica. We have teams of workers in there now working on the ships and it looks like we'll have room for everyone here. What we need now however, are supplies! Food, water, medicines and clothing for the journey ahead. I came out here to ask you all to help us by going out into the surrounding area and finding these things in as great a quantities as you can find and bring them back here. We'll load them onto the ships and be on our way. Can I count on you all to help us with this?"

A man of about sixty yahren stepped forward and asked, "Are you sure there will be enough room for everyone on those ships?"

Saxton stepped over to the man, looked him straight in the eye and told him, "You have my word as Warrior that I will not leave this planet myself without taking every last person I can with us. I won't leave anyone behind if I can help it."

Another man, younger then the first laughed at this statement.

"You expect us to believe you? You already lied to us about the ships and the Cylons. How can we be sure that once we gather all the food and water and stuff and you load it on one of those ships, you won't just take off without us? Why should we believe you now?"

Saxton stepped over to the young man and told him, "Because I had my chance to leave. Commander Adama ordered me and my men back to the Galactica, but I told him I wanted to stay and try and get those ships running so we could take all of you with us. I could have left you behind, but I chose not to."

The young man dropped his eyes to the ground, ashamed by what he had said to Saxton. Saxton placed a hand on the young man's shoulder and told him, "It's alright, after what we've all been thru this day, who among us can truly believe anything anymore? Will you help us gather the supplies? I promise, we won't leave you, or anyone else behind."

The young man raised his head and agreed to help, as did most everyone there did. Only a few older people and those with injuries stayed behind. Saxton hoped that by having the people help in gathering supplies, it would give them a sense of hope for the future.

Their time was nearly up when Darden came over to where Saxton was going thru the stacks of supplies people had brought back. Some people brought only a few small items while others came back with hovermobiles full of supplies. Saxton and a few of the volunteers were splitting the supplies up into four groups, one for each ship. The amount for each ship would be decided by the number of people on that ship. The old starliner, named the Aquarian Star, would be able to carry about eight hundred people while each of the large freighters could carry about five hundred. The old space bus could only accommodate about a hundred and would only be used if necessary since it was never intended for use in deep space, only interplanetary travel.

"Well Major, we got em done! You have the four ships I promised you and one more, I found an old Orion War Frigate over in the far reaches of the repair area. It's probably three hundred yahren old, but it seems to run good and its weapons systems work. Figured it might come in handy."

"You figured right Darden. We can use all the firepower we can get. Are we ready to load up and get out of here yet?" Saxton asked.

"Everything's a go on my end Major, all we're doing now is topping off the fuel cells. You can start loading supplies and people anytime."

"Great, we'll start right away." Saxton said.

Saxton went to the people dividing the supplies and told them to start loading. Then he went to the front gate.

"Lieutenant Hahn, go ahead and start letting these people in and have them start boarding. Start with the Aquarian Star, then the freighters. Load the space bus only if you have to. Keep track of how many people you board on each ship."

"Yes sir, have you figured out what ship we're going on?" he asked.

"I've talked to Captain Sauer; we both agree that we need to have a security presence on each ship, so we decided to have a detachment of about a score of security officers on each one. You will be in command of the detachment aboard the Aquarian Star. Sergeant Reeb will be on one freighter and Ensign Dungy on the other. Captain Sauer will be with me aboard the Orion War Frigate."

"Sounds like I have the best assignment of all." Hahn said with a smile.

"Maybe, but you'll also have about eight hundred people to keep under control, and only twenty men to do it with. You may not have much time to enjoy the accommodations." Sexton told him.

"Well, at least I won't be here when the Cylons get back." Hahn said rather morose.

The loading of the ships took a good deal longer then Saxton had planned on. Some people refused to board until some family member that had gone to find something returned or they wanted to know why they couldn't go on the Aquarian Star instead of one of the freighters. Saxton tried to hurry things along as much as possible. He had already met with each of the command crews that he was able to throw together. Lucky for him there were several Warriors in the crowd and a number of other spaceship handlers with the experience to run the vessels.

After nearly a centar, all four ships were finally loaded. Saxton went over final instructions with each of the ships commanders and told them what course to head out on. Then it was time to launch. The first ship to takeoff was one of the freighters. It rose slowly from the aerodrome, then once it cleared the roof line, it began to climb. Within a few centons, it had climbed out of sight and was on its way.

Next the second freighter lifted off. Like the first, it rose slowly at first then accelerated after it cleared the aerodrome. It climbed away into the late midday sky and was gone.

As the Aquarian Star began to power up its engines for lift off, a loud noise came from the direction of the front gate that Saxton had ordered locked once all the people were aboard. Saxton looked to see what was going on and immediately knew what it was.

The troublemakers that had been there earlier were back, and this time they were armed!

"Looks like they want to play Major!" Sauer said as he walked over to Saxton.

"Well then, let's not disappoint them." Saxton said as he watched the crowd of about fifty laser toting troublemakers approach. Sauer had ten of the men he had kept with him on board the Orion War Frigate form a line in front of the ships ramp. He had his men set their lasers on stun and told them to target those that seemed to be leading this group. As the troublemakers approached, they began taking pot shots at the security officers, who held their ground without even flinching. On his orders, Sauer and the rest of his men raised their weapons and fired several volleys. Two dozen of the troublemakers fell to the ground unconscious as a result of the accurate fire of the security officers. The remaining troublemakers stopped in their tracks and turned back, leaving their comrades behind.

"That should take care of them for awhile." Sauer said chuckling.

"Let's hope so. Now let's get aboard and get out of here." Saxton said.

"What should we do with them?" Sauer asked, waiving his laser toward the now unconscious men.

"Leave em! They don't deserve to be saved." Saxton said with a chill in his voice.

With that being said, they all made their way into the Orion War Frigate. Saxton stopped for just a moment to watch the Aquarian Star lift slowly into the air and begin it's climb to the stars. He then made his way inside and the hatch closed behind him as he made his way to the bridge.

As Saxton, Sauer and Nader arrived on the bridge, a message came in from one of the freighters that had lifted off earlier. The news they had was not good!

"Orion One, this is the Ra'Tarus. We've picked up Cylon fighters on our long range scanners heading your way. You need to get out of there now Orion One!" the commander of the freighter reported.

"Ra'Tarus, this is Orion One. How far off are they?" Saxton asked as he took his seat.

"They just passed Pisceria and seem to be moving toward all the planets. I'd say you have less then ten centons before you're on their scanners. You really need to get out of there!" he said, the deep concern very evident in his voice.

"Understood Ra'Tarus, thanks for the warning. Orion One out!"

Saxton turned to where Nadir was operating the scanners.

"You got em on your screen yet?" he asked.

Nader worked the controls of the old patrol ship to try and get a fix on the approaching Cylons. Even though they were still on the ground, the scanners on the Orion War Frigate were extremely powerful as they were designed to search vast areas. It took only a few microns for Nader to get them focused on the area he needed.

"I have confirmation. I have a full phalanx of fighters heading this way with what looks like transports following behind." Nader said as he turned in his seat. "Looks like an invasion fleet Sax!"

Saxton sat there for a moment and contemplated his options. He could lift off and make a quick getaway, but that would mean leaving the Aquarian Star behind since it was still slowly clawing its way into space. That was not an acceptable option.

They could try a direct assault on the Cylon invasion fleet, try and take out some of the transports and force the Cylon fighters to follow them away from the fleeing starliner and freighters. That would probably end with them being killed before they had a chance to get away themselves.

The only real option was to attract their attention away from the other ships then make a run for it in another direction. With a little bit of luck, they might be able to get away and find another place to go since they couldn't take the chance of leading the Cylons to the fleet. No, they were on their own now.

"Ensign Brix," Saxton said to the young Warrior who would be piloting the Orion War Frigate, "Lift off and set course four six seven Omega by zero four three, ahead full."

"Aye sir." Brix responded.

Saxton turned in his seat to face the security officer standing behind him.

"Captain Sauer, I need you to man the weapons station for me and have your men man the damage control stations, just in case!" Saxton ordered.

"Right!" was all he said as he took his place and passed the word along to the rest of his detail of thirty three men.

"Nader, let me know the micron those rust buckets pick us up on their scanners, I want to make sure they see us and not the other three ships." Saxton said to his friend at the scanner station.

The Orion War Frigate lifted off the tarmac and gained altitude quickly, much more so then the previous three ships. As it cleared the aerodrome, it banked hard to the left and accelerated upward at even greater speed. It cleared the atmosphere in less then three centons and was now on a course that should put them in scanner range of the Cylon fighter escort well before they could pick up the other ships. Now they just had to get the Cylon's to take the bait!

"We should be within scanner range of the Cylon's right about now Sax!" Nader said.

"Do they show any signs of seeing us yet?" Saxton asked.

"Negative, they seem to be scanning a very narrow beam. I'd say we could turn away and head for the rendezvous with the Galactica with out them seeing……whoops! Wait a micron. Correct that, they just spotted us Sax. Eight fighters have broken off from the main group and are heading right for us. Guess it's time to put phase two of your plan into effect." Nader said.

"Alright then, Ensign Brix, change course to two one nine Delta by five six one, ahead flank." Saxton ordered.

The ship once again made a hard turn, this time to the right and accelerated away from the approaching Cylons.

The Orion ship, though very old, perhaps on the order of five hundred yahren, was still in fantastic shape. It must have belonged to a collector of old war ships because it was in nearly brand new condition. Every system seemed to function perfectly and the weapons were all fully armed. Saxton knew he could do some serious damage to the trailing Cylons had that been his plan, but he wanted only to lead them away from the direction of the fleeing freighters and the Aquarian Star. Once he was sure they were far enough away to make good their escape, then he would worry about getting away himself.

"Oh no!" Nader said all of a sudden. Hey Sax, we got trouble up ahead."

"What kind of trouble?" Saxton asked, dreading what it could be.

"Looks like we have a Baseship dead ahead and moving to intercept us." Nader said.

"Oh lovely, that's just what we need!" Saxton said sarcastically. "Brix, bring us around to course one one seven Epsilon by seven zero four, flank speed."

Brix threw the Orion ship into another hard turn. The old girl responded beautifully as she headed away from the rapidly closing Baseship. Saxton knew that as powerful a ship as this was, it was no match for a Baseship. There were limits to how much he could ask of this old ship.

"Their still gaining on us Sax, and those fighters that were following us, their trying to cut us off! " Nader said as he worked the scanners. "Looks like they have a good angle on us, I estimate four centons before they reach weapons range, six centons for the Baseship!"

Saxton shook his head and looked at his friend, "You're just full of good news, aren't you!" He said.

"Well what do you want to do Sax, live forever?" Nader said with a slight smile.

"I don't think we'll have to worry too much about that if we don't find a way out of this!" Saxton said. "Brix, come to course five eight two Theta by four zero four. Push it to the max kid!"

"Yes sir! We're at top speed now sir, she won't go any faster." Brix answered.

"Saxton turned to Nader, "Can we out run em Nader?"

"We might get away from the fighters, but that Baseship will catch us in less then five centons." Nader said.

"Frak! Alright then lets quit runnin and start fightin!" Saxton said, his temper starting to show. "Brix, stand by to change course directly into those fighters. Sauer, have all weapons ready to fire as soon as we come into range. They want a piece of us, then let's give em the whole thing and see how they like it."

Nader made a quick announcement to the crew to prepare to engage the Cylon fighters. When all sections had confirmed they were ready, Saxton gave the order.

"Okay guys, here we go. Brix, bring us around for a head to head pass with the fighters. Sauer, fire at will. Take those tin cans out of my space!" Saxton ordered.

With the order given, the nimble old war ship turned quickly toward the unsuspecting Cylon pilots that had suddenly went from the hunters to the hunted! In less then ten microns, the Orion Frigate was in range for its main batteries, which Captain Sauer unleashed on the incoming Cylons with deadly accuracy. The first four volley's from the main guns scored four direct hits, wiping out half the fighters in the passing of but a few heartbeats. This caused the remaining fighters to turn away and begin evasive maneuvers in an attempt to escape the now pursuing human's ship.

This proved only partially successful.

Sexton watched on the scanners as the four remaining fighters split up and went in different directions. He immediately ordered them to follow the one heading in the direction of the three ships that had escaped just before they took off. He had to get that ship before they could pick up their trail.

"Brix, close in on that ship, get us in range quick. Sauer, lite em up as soon as their in range." Saxton ordered.

"I'm already zeroed in, we just need to close the gap a bit more." Sauer said as he placed the crosshairs of the fire control computer on the fleeing Cylon fighter. He watched the range finder counting down as they quickly gained on the fighter. Just as he was about to fire, the ship rocked violently.

"Frak! That Baseship is taking pot shots at us. We're still out of their range, but they could still get lucky. We need to break off Sax or they'll get a bead on us." Nader yelled.

"Not yet, Sauer can you take that ship out?" Saxton said.

Sauer looked at the range finder and found that they had lost about two thousand metons on the fighter. There was no way to get him before the Baseship was in range of them.

"I don't think so Major, he's too far ahead. Those near misses slowed us down too much."

"Damn! Then let's get out of here, Brix, hard to port, come to course…….."

The rest of what Saxton said was drowned out by the roar of the mega pulsars of the Baseship as it opened fire with its main batteries. The Frigate bounced around violently as the enormous firepower of the Baseship was unleashed upon them. Even though none of their shots hit the Orion Frigate, the mere closeness of the misses was causing damage enough.

"We have hull breaches on decks four and five, sections Lima thru Omega. Damage control parties are trying to secure those sections. Heavy damage to number one energizer, Chief Sestak is shutting it down. We're losing speed fast. We need to set this old girl down Sax, she's finished!" Nader said.

Saxton knew he was right, if they took a direct hit from that Baseship, it would be all over. There was only one course of action left.

"Your right, Brix, take us back to Caprica. Put us down near the academy if you can, we might find weapons there." He said.

"I know a better place Major!" someone said from behind him. Saxton turned in his seat to find a young Ensign standing near one of the control consoles. Saxton had remembered seeing the man come aboard with a group of other Warriors that had made their way to the aerodrome that morning and helped load the supplies aboard the ships, but had no idea who he was.

"Is that so? And where would you suggest we land Ensign?" Saxton asked.

The young man stepped forward and said, "I know of a place where we'll be safe. A base, it has everything we'll need. It's near the industrial section, right on the edge of Caprica City."

Saxton couldn't think of any bases anywhere near the industrial section of Caprica City, not even so much as a recruitment station was down in that area.

"I don't know of any bases there, where is this base at?

Saxton asked.

"It's there Major, trust me. I'll lead you to it." The man said.

Another near miss made the decision for them.

"Alright, anywhere but up here, Brix, head for the industrial section of Caprica City. We'll make our way to this "base" that Ensign…." Saxton said as he looked questioningly at the young officer.

"Elkin sir!" he said.

"…that Ensign Elkin knows of. Nader, have all hands stand by for emergency landing, Have them grab every weapon and all the food and water they can carry. As soon as we're down, pop the hatches and move to the nearest building to the rear of the ship. From there, Elkin will lead the way."

Saxton ordered.

Nader passed the word over the ships intercom system as Ensign Brix fought to stay ahead of the pursuing Baseship. He made a brilliant move by swinging the Orion Frigate around one of the small moons of Aries and doubling back before the Baseship could follow. This gave them a bit of a cushion with which to make their landing.

Or so they thought!

They had managed to lose the Baseship temporarily, but unnoticed by Nader or anyone else, the Baseship had launched a dozen fighters just as they disappeared around the Aries moon and sent them around the other side to try and intercept the fleeing Orion ship. This proved to be a very effective move, as the Frigate emerged from the other side, it ran head long into the waiting fighters.

"Fighters dead ahead!" yelled Nader as the fighters came onto his scanner screen.

"Evasive maneuvers now!" Saxton ordered.

The Orion Frigate veered hard to the left as the Cylon fighters open fire on them. This move had been anticipated however and the ship was raked from stem to stern with laser fire. Though the damage was extensive, it had not affected any of the major systems and the Frigate was able to accelerate away before the fighters could launch a second volley.

"Damage reports, all decks! Nader, I need a status report on those fighters and that Baseship. Where are they?" Saxton ordered.

"Got em, the fighters are directly behind us and falling behind. The Baseship is coming around the moon now and picking up speed." Nader said, all the lightness in his voice now gone. "We should be able to reach Caprica before they can catch us now, unless we have anymore surprises."

"Check your long range scanners; see what other ships are in the quadrant." Saxton ordered.

Nader got right to checking for more ships. He was embarrassed that twice he had been caught unaware of enemy ships. He had been lax in his duties and that he could not allow.

Saxton turned to Sauer at the weapons console and asked, "What's our status Captain?"

Sauer shook his head for a moment then looked up at Saxton.

"We were damn lucky Major! No major systems were effected and except for a few small hull breaches, no real structural damage. Whoever built this little darling sure built it right." He said with a bit of a chuckle.

"Excellent, what about the crew, any reports of casualties?" Saxton asked.

"Just a few bumps and bruises. The area's where the hull breaches occurred were unmanned." Sauer answered.

"Thank the Lords!" Saxton said as he turned back to the front of the bridge. The view screen at the front of the bridge was filled with the image of Caprica. From this angle, one could see horrific fires burning all across the planet. Whole cities were ablaze from the previous nights attacks. Now as dusk began to fall upon the capital of the colonies, an eerie though came to Saxton's mind……. What would happen to all those people that were left behind? He hadn't though about it till then. He had been working so hard to find a way to save as many people as he could, he hadn't given much thought to those that would be left behind.

Those left for the Cylons!

The voice of the helmsman broke his train of thought.

"Major, were entering the upper atmosphere." Brix said. "I've locked onto the area you wanted for landing. I think I can put us down near the location you gave me without to much trouble."

"Excellent, Sauer, pass the word for all hands to brace for emergency landing. I want this ship cleared of all personnel ten microns after we blow the hatches." Saxton said.

"Right! All hands report ready for landing." Sauer reported.

Saxton nodded and looked over to Nader who was busy working the controls of the scanners.

"What's the pursuit look like Nader, Are they gaining on us?"

Nader hesitated for a moment, then answered.

"Looks like that Baseship slowed down to recover those fighters. Their way behind us now. I've scanned the entire quadrant, except for a few transports and their escorts heading for the other planets, everything seems quiet around us."

"Good, can you scan the landing area for any signs of Cylons?" Saxton asked.

"Already done, the nearest unit of Cylons appears to be about five kilometrons away, near the aerodrome we left. I also picked up a large number of human life signs there too. I think the Cylons have started taking prisoners!" Nader said as he turned to look at Saxton, his face filled with concern.

Prisoners! The Cylons hardly ever took prisoners! Usually only Warriors were taken to try and extract information. Why would they be taking prisoners? Saxton was mystified by this. His thoughts flashed back to the hooligans that they had stunned before they took off and had left behind for the Cylons. He wondered if they were among those being taken prisoner. Nothing he could do about them now, he had nearly a hundred people onboard this ship to worry about.

"We can't do anything for them. We have to get this ship down and clear the area as quick as possible. It won't take long for that Baseship to make orbit and launch a group of fighters to try and get us." Saxton said.

"Yeah, you're right." Nader said somewhat sadly.

"I have visual on the landing site Major." Brix broke in.

"Alright Brix, set us down by that warehouse with the blue and red paint on the sides. That's where we'll go. From there, it'll be up to you Elkin." Saxton said to the young man. "Can you find your way from there?"

"Yes sir!" Elkin said. "That's the Taurarian Trade Commissions warehouse. It's were they inspect all the trade goods going to Taura. The place we need to go is only about six streets over."

Saxton nodded and turned back to face the front screen.

"Okay Brix, come back around and take us down."

"Yes sir!" Brix said as he began a turn to line up his approach.

"Better make it fast Brix!" Nader said, "Because that Baseship just launched an attack phalanx and its heading this way. I estimate we have about five centons before their on top of us."

"No sweat Captain." Brix said as he tightened the turn and drop the altitude much more quickly then was normal. With a good deal of skill, Brix brought the big Orion Frigate down just ten metrons away from the building. The hatches were blown before the ship had even come to a stop and people began piling out and running for the entryway to the warehouse.

Saxton, Nader and Sauer were the last to leave, insuring that all hands had made it out safe. The three senior officers had just cleared the hatch when the first Cylon fighters came screaming down out of the darkening sky. They ignored the three humans running away from the ship and concentrated their fire on the old Frigate. Dozens of direct hits did little damage to the heavily armored ship, only sparking small fires and burn marks on the skin of the ship. Another wave of fighters came down and made a second pass at the Frigate. On of the laser blasts must have gone thru an open hatch because there was a loud explosion that came from somewhere deep inside the ship.

Saxton wasted no time watching any of this, he didn't want to be around when the old girl blew, so he had everyone move out immediately with Elkin and Sauer in the lead and he and Nader bringing up the rear. The line of people moved away along the outside of the building and down the first street they came to. As Saxton reached the corner of the warehouse, he stopped and looked back at the dying war ship. He would have liked to have saved it from the fate it now faced, but there was little he could do now. Fires were burning out of control inside the ship, easily seen thru the open hatches. Just then another wave of Cylons broke out of the night sky and headed in for another run. Saxton's anger hit the boiling point as he shook his fist at the Cylons and yelled, "Haven't you done enough to the poor old thing? Let her die in peace damn you!"

Some greater power then he could understand must have heard his plea for mercy for the old ship, because just before the Cylons could fire, the Frigate went up in a huge explosive fireball, sending pieces of metal flying into the air. The Cylon fighters were far too close to avoid these unguided missiles and were themselves destroyed.

Saxton cheered as he witnessed this. The old Orion Frigate had taken no less then six Cylons out with its last "breath". Maybe the Lords of Kobol were watching out for them.

Then he felt Nader's hand on his shoulder and turned toward him. His smile told Saxton that he was thinking the same thing.

"C'mon Sax, lets catch up with the rest of the crew. We don't want to get left behind."

"Right, lets go" He said as he slapped his friend on the shoulder. The two men took off after the crew and disappeared into the night.


	8. The Dreamworks

Battlestar Galactica

Past, Present, Future

Chapter Eight

The Dreamworks

It took only twenty centons to make the trip from the ship to the plain looking building that sat inside of a fenced in lot. They had passed many buildings that looked very much like it and no one would even look twice at this particular building except that if you were to look more closely at it, you would see it was a bit different then the others. This one for example, was surrounded by dozens of very small cameras that covered every micrometron of the grounds. They might also notice that the front door was made of tritanium. There were also no windows or any other openings anywhere in the exterior walls of the building. The only thing on the outside of the building other then the door was what looked like a glass plate next to the door.

The crew of the Frigate all gathered around the front of the building, trying to stay out of site. As soon as Saxton and Nader arrived, Ensign Elkin began to explain what he was about to do.

"Okay Major, this is the place." He said.

Saxton looked at the place and wondered if this young officer knew what he was talking about. The look on his face must have belied his thoughts because Elkin gave a slight chuckle and continued.

"I know what you're thinking sir, "Is this guy cracked or something?", well I'm not sir. This is one of the most highly guarded secrets in the colonies, but under the current circumstances, I don't think that matters much anymore."

"What is this place Elkin?" Nader asked.

"C'mon, I'll show you." He said as he placed his left hand on the glass plate. A green light passed over his hand thru the plate, then a small panel next to the plate that had been undetectable before slide open, exposing a computer terminal. A voice came from a small speaker above a keypad.

"Place your left hand on the scanner and look into the retinal scanner."

Elkin placed his hand on the plate again and leaned toward what looked like a small camera. A green light flared to life and panned over Elkin eyes several times while another green light passed over his hand once again.

"Identification confirmed, welcome Ensign Elkin." The voice from the computer said.

With that, the door next to the computer slid open, revealing a short passageway and a large room. Elkin motioned for them to enter. Saxton, Nader and Elkin entered first followed by the rest of the crew. The room was not as large as it looked from the outside, but it was big enough for all of the people to crowd inside. Once everyone was in, Elkin placed his hand on another panel and the door slide shut. Then several more doors began sliding into place, turning the passageway into a solid wall. Elkin then motioned for Saxton and the rest of them to follow him. He arrived at another glass panel, where he placed his hand on the panel and was scanned yet again.

"You sure have a lot of security in this place Ensign." Saxton said. "What is this place?"

Elkin just smiled and said, "Yeah, there is a fair amount of security here sir, but you'll understand why in a few centons."

Saxton exchanged glances with Nader and Sauer but said nothing. He was very curious about this place with the elaborate security system.

A door slid open in front of them, revealing a bank of elevators. Elkin stepped forward and was reaching for the button when the doors to the elevators opened and a group of armed Warriors charged out.

"Nobody move! Stay right where you are and you won't be harmed. If you move we will shot you!" a man wearing the insignia of a Colonial Sergeant yelled as his men spread out and began taking the weapons away from the Frigate crew. Saxton looked over his shoulder and yelled back at his people, "Everyone relax and do what the Sergeant says. Offer no resistance."

The Sergeant turned and stepped up, face to face with the Major. He looked the Major up and down for a moment then said to him, "You don't have clearance for this facility Major, how did you get in here?"

Saxton bristled a little bit at the Sergeants lack of respect and protocol, but said nothing since he had a laser rifle pointed at him. Instead he chose to be more diplomatic.

"We were brought here by an officer that said we would be safe."

The Sergeant cocked his head to the side, as if trying to decide wither or not to believe him.

"And what officer would that be Major?" the sergeant asked.

"That would be me Sergeant Kelso!" came a voice from behind the Sergeant.

The Sergeant turned to find Ensign Elkin standing up against the wall behind him. The Ensign stepped toward the Sergeant and looked him in the eye.

"And you need to show a bit more respect when you address a superior officer, do you understand me Sergeant?" Elkin continued with an air of authority that hadn't been there before.

The Sergeant came to attention and saluted.

"Yes sir!" the Sergeant said loudly.

Then both Elkin and the Sergeant began laughing and clasped wrists. Saxton was totally confused now. What in Sagens name was going on here? Elkin looked at the expression on Saxton's face and began to explain.

"Sorry for the confusion sir, but they were only doing their duty." Elkin said. "This is my father, Sergeant Kelso. He's one of the Warrior security team leaders here."

Saxton looked from Elkin to Kelso and immediately saw the resemblance. Elkin was an exact copy of his father, right down to the steely grey eyes. Kelso stepped forward and saluted the Major.

"Sorry if I ruffled your feathers sir, but we were dispatched to intercept you before we knew Elkin here was with you. The Command Duty Officer didn't run a security check on how you gained entry or he would have seen you were with my boy there."

"I see, and who is this Command Duty Officer?" Saxton asked a bit miffed.

"That would be Lieutenant Prior, oh excuse me, Doctor Prior!" Kelso said sarcastically.

Saxton saw Elkin roll his eyes and shook his head at hearing this.

"Doctor? What is this place? A Life Center or something?" Nader asked.

Kelso glanced at Elkin, then looked at Saxton questioningly and asked, "Do you people have any idea of just where you're at right now?"

Saxton looked the Sergeant in the eye and said somewhat angrily, "No Sergeant, we don't! But I'll tell you something right now. I think it's time that somebody starts explaining just where in Hades we are and why I and my people are being held at laser point!"

The Sergeant met the Majors gaze evenly and said, "With all due respect _sir_, if you don't know what this place is, then you don't have the clearance or the need to know. As for why you're here, that was a mistake made by a young officer without the proper authorization." Kelso said casting a glare at his son. "And as for your people being held under guard, they will remain as such until I've received orders to the contrary…..sir!"

Not backing down one bit, Saxton stepped so close to the Sergeant that their noses were almost touching.

"Then I suggest _Sergeant_ that you take me to see this Lieutenant Prior or Doctor Prior or whatever he wants to call himself so we can straighten this felgercarb out before things get out of hand, do you read me Sergeant!"

The two men stared at each other for several microns before the Sergeant, without taking his eyes off those of the Major, ordered his second in command to hold everyone there until he had orders as to how they would proceed.

Then the Sergeant stepped aside, never losing eye contact, and motioned for the Major to enter the elevator. The Major continued to stare at the Sergeant for several more microns before he stepped past him and into the elevator. Once onboard, he did an about face and watched as Kelso, Elkin, and two of the Warrior security guards entered behind him. Kelso gave him a quick glare, then turned around and pressed the button to start the elevator on its long trip down to the Command Center.

The decent was a long one. Saxton figured they must be well over three kilometrons below the surface. He wondered what kind of a place it was that would be so far beneath the ground. Some sort of command post for the senior staff in the event of a direct attack on the colonies, such as the one that took place the night before. Only it seems that none of the senior staff made it down there since some Lieutenant was in charge. Saxton's musings were interrupted by the elevator's slowing.

The doors opened on a large, well lit room. Kelso exited the elevator and led the way down thru the room to an office where a man sat behind a desk, watching a bank of monitors. As the group entered, the man slowly turned around in his chair. He was a fairly young man, no more the thirty yahrens of age. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes. The man was of average height and somewhat thin of build. He wore the smock of a scientist with the insignia of a Colonial Lieutenant on the collar. He looked at Saxton with what could only be called disinterest.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

Again, Saxton's temper flared at the lack of respect and protocol afforded a superior officer. This time he would not put up with it.

"I take it you DO know how to address a superior officer when one walks into a room, don't you lieutenant?"

This caught the man totally by surprise. He hadn't expected a man he considered a prisoner to speak to him in such a manner. But he did come to his feet and salute, although a bit sloppily.

Saxton was appalled at what he saw. What kind of a Warrior was this standing before him he wondered? Saxton looked the man over and couldn't believe this man could possibly be a Warrior.

"Are you the duty officer here…..Lieutenant?" he asked gruffly.

"Yes sir, I'm Doctor…..I mean Lieutenant Prior. And who may I ask are you sir? And just what are you doing here?"

"What I'm doing here Lieutenant is trying to find a safe place for over a hundred of our people before the Cylons exterminate them. In case it had escaped your notice down here, the colonies have all but been destroyed! There are Cylons landing on every planet and killing anyone they find. Now, you're going to let those people topside come down here and your going to do it NOW!" Saxton yelled as he got nose to nose with the Lieutenant.

The Lieutenant tried to back away from the enraged officer, but ended up tripping over the chair he had been sitting in, landing hard on his backside. This brought chuckles from Ensign Elkin and the two guards that had accompanied them down to the Command Center. Both Saxton and Sergeant Kelso wheeled around to glare at them, silencing them instantly.

Saxton turned back just as the Lieutenant regained his feet and a bit of his composure. The young officer attempted to put on a show of authority in spite of the fear he felt.

"You can't come in here and just start giving orders Major! You have no authority here!" Prior said with all the command he could muster.

"That might be true under normal circumstances, but right now I have over a hundred people up there with no place to go and a Cylon occupation force landing not more then five kilometrons from here. I was told by Ensign Elkin that this would be a secure place to bring those people until we could formulate some kind of response or counterattack. Now Lieutenant, if you want to go up there and tell those people that they can't come down here and that they have to go find someplace else to hide, then get your ass on one of those elevators and do it! Otherwise, I'm going up there and start bringing them down!" Saxton told him.

Then he turned to Sergeant Kelso and said, "Sergeant, I know you're only following orders, but I'm telling you right now, if you plan on stopping me, you better damn well kill me, because that's the only way you or anyone else is going to do it!"

Kelso stared at the Major for a moment, and Saxton thought for a moment that the Sergeant might just shoot him. Then the Sergeant cast a glance at Lieutenant Prior, who was standing there unsure of how this outsider had seemingly taken control of the situation. Then Kelso looked at his son, who was standing between the two security guards, a slight grin on his face. Their eyes met and Elkin gave his dad a slight nod, telling him it was the right thing to do.

Then Kelso turned his gaze back to Saxton. He saw in his eyes that he had made up his mind.

"Corporeal Macon, return to the surface with the Major and begin bringing those people down. We won't have much time before the Cylons start searching the area, so make hast."

"Yes Sergeant!" the man on Elkin's left said and motioned for Saxton to come with him. "This way sir!"

Saxton nodded to the Corporeal and extended his hand to the Kelso.

"Thanks Sergeant, I know it was a hard decision to make. You did the right thing, you're a good man." Saxton said.

Kelso clasped wrists with the Major and said to him, "There really was no other choice, if we're going to survive, things are going to have to change, including the rules and regulations we live by."

Saxton nodded and left with the Corporeal.

Lieutenant Prior didn't say a word; he just stood there and stared at the Sergeant. He felt totally betrayed. Betrayed by those who were supposed to follow his orders.

Kelso walked over to the Lieutenant and place a fatherly hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant, but under the present circumstances, we don't have any choice but to let them in. If we didn't and they were captured, the Cylons could find this place and then we'd really be in trouble. Trust me Lieutenant, it's for the best."

Lieutenant Prior snapped out of the trance he seemed to be putting himself in and focused on the older man before him. He understood why the Sergeant overruled his orders now and had to agree, those people could not be allowed to leave now that they were aware of this location.

"You were right Sergeant, I was wrong to deny them entry. Do me a favor; keep me from making an ass of myself in the future if at all possible." Prior said.

"Will do sir!" Kelso said with a chuckle. Then they both turned to look at Ensign Elkin. The look on their faces told Elkin they were not happy with him.

"Why in the twelve worlds did you bring those people here Elkin?" Kelso asked his son. "You know this facility is the most closely guarded secret in the colonies! What possessed you to do that?"

"I had to; there was no other place to go!" Elkin answered. "When our ship was damaged, all I could think of was coming here. I knew if we made it here, we would be safe."

"Well, the damage is done. All we can do now is make the best of this." Kelso said.

The elevator doors opened and out came the first group from above. Prior, Kelso and Elkin watched as the Warriors and Colonial Security officers filed out of the elevators.

"Where are we supposed to put all of these people?" asked Prior, not realizing how many people there were.

"The only place large enough to house all of them is in the Emergency Command Center housing on level two." Kelso said.

"That's for use by the President, the Council of the Twelve and the Admiralty only!" Prior said. "We can't let these people in there."

"Do you have a better suggestion Lieutenant? If so, you better tell us quick before the whole Control Center is filled with people. Maybe you'd like to put them in the R&D sections?" Kelso said.

Prior turned to Kelso angrily and said, "You know damn well we can't let anyone in there! We can't even let these people know about those sections! I'd rather let them in the E.C.C."

"So would I, so, should I open it up and start ushering them in there before it gets too crowded?" Kelso asked.

Prior knew he was caught between a rock and a hard place. He knew he couldn't let these people find out about the labs, even if it meant turning the E.C.C. into a refugee center. His primary duty was to protect the labs and work areas on the lower levels.

"Alright Sergeant, open up the E.C.C. and start moving them in, but I want our people to be posted outside the entrance to the E.C.C. and at the security elevators down to the lower levels. Is that clear Sergeant?" Prior ordered.

"Yes sir, I'll take care of it, but remember Lieutenant, we only have twenty Warriors down here. Trying to secure this entire facility and keep watch on all these new arrivals is going to be stretching our people pretty thin." Kelso told him. "Maybe we could get some of that Major's people to help with security in the less classified areas?"

Prior thought about it for a moment, he didn't like the idea of outsiders being down there to begin with, but to have them actually helping with security?

After a moment though, he nodded his head and said, "You may be right. Damn I hate this! I'll talk to the Major when he comes back down."

That being said, Kelso moved off to open the Emergency Command Center, or E.C.C. It was constructed over a hundred yahren before as a Command Center to be used in the event of a Cylon attack on Caprica. It was nearly four kilometrons below the surface and spread out in all directions for about a hundred metrons. There were three levels to the Command Center, each with its own purpose.

Level One was the Security level where the on duty security detachment was stationed. All elevators from the surface emptied out on this level where security screenings were conducted on all personnel before they were allowed to enter the rest of the facility.

Level Two was the Emergency Command Center. This was a self contained and self sufficient facility from where the government and military leaders of the colonies could continue to run the planets defenses. It was loaded with every kind of communications, scanning, and weapons control equipment needed to conduct defensive operations of Caprica. There was also a fully stocked and staffed Life Center, three mess halls, two rejuvenation centers, gymnasium and amphitheater. Add to that living space for the President, the Council, the Admiralty and their staffs plus upwards of five thousand fully armed Warriors.

Level Three was dedicated to machinery and storage. This is where the facilities power plant, air conditioners and purifiers, water purifiers and recyclers were kept. Also the food storage units, medical supplies, maintenance equipment and extra clothing were stored. All in all, there was enough to sustain up to ten thousand people for a period of five yahren.

There were three levels below that, but they were a mystery to all but a select few in the facility at that time. Even though all the security personnel knew there were more levels below the machinery level, only two of them knew what was down there, Lieutenant Prior and Sergeant Kelso.

Kelso had just started moving the people from the Control Center when a commotion began near the communications console. He made his way over to where the communications specialist, Corporeal Stukes, was waving franticly for Lieutenant Prior to come over. Kelso and Prior both saw Corporeal Stukes and made their way hurriedly over to him. He seemed to be listening to something intently, a look of intense concentration on his face as he worked the com units controls.

"What is it Stukes? What do you got?" Prior asked after several moments.

Stukes held up a hand, wanting quiet as he continued to listen.

"WELL!" Prior said somewhat perturbed at being put off.

After a few more microns passed, Stukes finally responded.

"I just intercepted a communication between a Cylon patrol and the central command of their invasion forces. I couldn't make out everything, but from what I could gather, this patrol was escorting a large group of humans toward the aerodrome, including a number of Warriors!"

"Warriors! Where are they?" Major Saxton asked excitedly, having walked up unnoticed by anyone.

"From what I could gather sir, their somewhere near the Presidium." Stukes answered.

"The Presidium, that means they'll have to go right by here to get to the aerodrome." Saxton mussed aloud.

"So, what does that have to do with anything?" Prior asked.

"It means that we are going to try and rescue those Warriors from the Cylons." Saxton said.

"Are you crazy? You can't try a rescue with Cylons all over the place. You'll get yourself killed, or worse, you'll lead them back here and get us all killed." Prior protested.

"What would you have me do, just let the Cylons march those people off to termination camps?" Saxton yelled. "What in Hades kind of Warrior are you that you'd stay down here and hide while your brothers and sisters were being taken away to their deaths? How can you call yourself human?"

Prior flinched away as if he had just been struck in the face. He wanted to help them, but his first responsibility was to the protection of this facility and he would not be deterred from that responsibility.

"I have my reasons Major. I wish I could explain them to you, but I can't." was the weak excuse he gave.

"Fine!" Saxton said angrily, "You can just go ahead and stay here, safe and sound in your little hidey hole. I'm going to try and free those people!"

Saxton turned to Captain Sauer, who was standing behind him with Captain Nader and Ensign Brix.

"Sauer, I need you and your people to come with me. Nader, you and the rest of the Warriors stay here and help secure the base."

Both men acknowledged with a simple nod. Then Saxton turned to Kelso.

"Sergeant, I could really use your help with this. I know you've had a good deal of combat experience, especially ambush tactics."

Kelso looked at the Major curiously for a moment wondering how he could have known that. Then he realized it was because he still wore his "Special Ops" badge on his uniform. The Major most likely knew what that meant. Kelso was about to say something, then Lieutenant Prior interrupted.

"The Sergeant is not going anywhere with you Major! He is under MY command and I will not give him permission to go with you."

Saxton had just about had enough of this felgercarb. This sorry excuse for a Warrior was not going to tell him what he could or couldn't do! Not in this lifetime! Saxton stepped around the console and grabbed a handful of Prior's tunic and yanked him so he was nose to nose with the pathetic lieutenant.

"You listen to me you sniveling little snitrad, you don't tell me what I can or can't do here! As a matter of fact, you don't tell anyone what to do here anymore! As of this moment, I am relieving you of command under article seven, section delta four. From now on you will do nothing except that which you are told to do or I'll have you placed under arrest on charges of mutiny! Do you understand me Lieutenant?" Saxton said furiously.

Lieutenant Prior was shaking so bad he could hardly speak, both from anger and from fear. This barbarian of a Warrior had just relieved him of command! It was unbelievable! What was worse was that none of his own men seemed to be coming to his defense, not even Sergeant Kelso.

"Fine! Take command! But know this, there is a lot more to this place then meets the eye. Things you couldn't begin to imagine. I hope you're ready for what you've taken on Major, because if you're not, you may cost humanity its only chance for existence!" Prior said angrily.

Saxton released the Lieutenant, who immediately retreated to the office where he was sitting when they first arrived.

Saxton watched him depart as did everyone else in the room. They all knew that the young man was deeply disturbed, more so then they might realize. Saxton turned to Kelso and asked, "What did he mean by that Sergeant?"

Kelso continued to watch Prior as he sat in the office, staring at the bank of monitors and switched from one view to another.

"Remember topside, when I asked you if you knew where you were?" Kelso asked.

"Yes, yes I do. You told me if I didn't know what this place was, I didn't need to know." Saxton said.

Kelso nodded his head and then turned to look at the Major.

"That's right. But I think that under the current circumstances, it would be a good idea if I told you just where you are and what you've gotten yourself into. Follow me Major!" Kelso said as he headed for the other end of the control center.

Saxton, Sauer, Nader, Brix and Elkin all followed along as the Sergeant lead them to what at first appeared to be a blank wall. Kelso pulled out a small card from his shirt pocket and placed it in a small, nearly undetectable slot in the wall. This opened up a panel with a computer behind it. It was an exact duplicate of the setup they had seen on the surface. Kelso placed his hand on the glass plate next to the computer and the same green light panned over his hand. The now familiar voice came from the computer.

"Place your left hand on the scanner and look into the retinal scanner."

Kelso did as he was prompted and the voice came on again.

"Identification confirmed. Welcome Sergeant Kelso."

Then a portion of the wall slid aside to reveal a bank of elevators. Kelso pressed a button on the wall between two of them and one of the elevators opened up.

"Gentlemen, if you'll step into the elevator, I'll show you what the Lieutenant was talking about." Kelso said.

The five officers and the Sergeant boarded the elevator and began to descend deeper into the bowels of the planet. The ride was a short one compared to the ride from the surface, but Saxton knew they had just gone another two or three hundred metrons deeper below the surface.

"So where is it you're taking us Sergeant?" Nader asked.

Kelso glanced over his shoulder at the Captain and said, "I'm taking you to the most highly guarded secret in the colonies sir."

He led them from the elevators to a doorway leading into a dark room and motioned for them to enter. They did so cautiously as they could not see very well. The Sergeant reached over to the right of the doorway and flipped a toggle, causing the lights to come to life.

What Saxton and the rest saw before them made their breath catch, a gigantic, multileveled complex the likes of which none of them had ever seen before. They walked forward to the railing that ran along the walkway they found themselves on and looked out over a vast expanse. The room below them stretched away into the distance as far as the eye could see, so far in fact that it was impossible to see the other side from their vantage point. It was also extremely deep, going well over five hundred metrons farther down from where they now stood. If the size of this room wasn't overwhelming enough, what it contained would more then make up for that fact.

Below them Saxton and the others could see dozens of spacecraft. They were of all different sizes and configurations, most were unfamiliar to Saxton who thought he was familiar with just about anything that flew.

Saxton turned to Sergeant Kelso and asked, "What is this place Sergeant?"

Kelso, who had been standing off to one side and watching the faces of the officers with him smiled and said, "This Major is the most closely guarded secret in the colonies. This is the Colonial Weapons Research and Development Command, or as we call it……

"The DreamWorks."

The five men exchanged glances as they mulled this over. Saxton had heard rumors about this place, but he thought they were just that, rumors.

"This is the place where every major advance in our weapons or spacecraft has been invented, developed, and tested for the past one hundred and seventy yahren. This is where both the Asp and the Viper fighters were designed and developed as well as every laser weapon used in the past hundred and fifty yahren."

"So this is where the entire Colonial arsenal was built?" Nader asked in awe of what he saw.

"Not built Captain, but developed. The people that work here are among the greatest minds in the colonies. They conceptualized, developed and tested the weapons here, then when they have things ready for production; they send them off to the manufacturing facilities. What you see below, are a number of projects that have been in the works, some of them for yahren."

"Where are all the scientists now?" Saxton asked.

Kelso got a sad expression on his face at that question.

"As far as I know, most are either dead or missing. Only a few of them were in the facility when the attacks started, the rest were off celebrating the so-called "Peace Conference". I haven't seen any of them return since the attacks."

"Major?" Captain Sauer began. "We need to get back topside if we're going to attempt a rescue operation for those people."

Saxton had nearly forgotten about the Warriors being marched off to the aerodrome. He looked at his wrist chrono and figured they had just enough time to give it a try.

"Alright Sauer, you and I will go and perform the rescue, Brix, you and Elkin will set up a security perimeter outside the building on the surface. Nader, you and Sergeant Kelso will remain inside the facility to maintain security here and to monitor the Cylons activity. I also want you to make sure that Lieutenant Prior doesn't do something stupid like trying to lock us out."

"Major, I think I should go with you." Kelso said. "You said it yourself; I have the most experience in this sort of thing."

"You sure you want to go against your CO's orders?" Saxton asked.

"Normally Major I'd stay here and stand my post, but I think the events of the past few centars have changed everything. Lieutenant Prior was at best an arrogant, snobbish, and overindulged young man that only joined the military to get away from his parents. The fact that he's a genius in the field of electronics is what got him assigned here not his command ability. The only reason he was in command in the first place was because he was the lowest ranking Warrior officer and got stuck with the duty."

Saxton nodded, understanding what the Sergeant was saying.

"Okay then, Kelso will come with us too. Nader, it will be up to you to keep Prior from locking us out. You have my consent to do whatever it takes to keep him from interfering with this mission, understand?" Saxton asked.

"Don't worry Sax; I'll keep the boy genius under control. You just be careful out there." Nader said.

Saxton nodded and the six men boarded the elevator back to the security level. They arrived on the security level a few centons later. Lieutenant Prior was still in his office, watching the monitors, not having moved according to Corporeal Macon, who had finished escorting the last of the people down from the surface and was left to watch the Lieutenant by Kelso.

"We need to get him out of that office before we leave Major. He can lockout all access to the facility from there. I'd suggest you have him placed in the brig until we return." Kelso said.

"Good idea Sergeant, I'll have Captain Sauer take care of it." Saxton said.

Sauer had no trouble getting Prior out of the office and down to the brig. He seemed resigned to the fact that he would be spending a good long time in there and made no fuss at all. This worried Sauer.

When told about this, Saxton had Kelso run a quick check over the security systems. It was a good thing that they did, Prior had already set the system to lockout anyone trying to enter without his personal approval. The whole thing was encrypted and irreversible by anyone but Prior, and he was sure not to cooperate.

"So what do we do now? Are we just going to let those people be taken away?" Nader asked.

"Not if I can help it!" Saxton said.

He looked at the map they pulled out of the city and tried to determine where the Cylons and their captives would be.

"I'd say their right about here, near the Caprican Triad stadium. That gives us about forty centons to get to this point here and set up our rescue." Saxton said pointing to the place he thought would be the place to pull off their attempted rescue. "The problem is once we leave the facility, we can't get back in, not with Prior locking out the access system. Any suggestions on how to override the lockout?"

"As far as I know Major, it can't be done." Kelso said. "The Lieutenant is a damn good electronics expert, so he knew just how to do it."

"I could try and force him to unlock it!" Sauer said sternly.

"No, that's not the answer. There has to be some way to get around the lockout."

"This might sound kinda stupid, but why not just block the doors open?" Nader said.

Silence filled the room as they all sat and looked at each other. Of course, the answer was as simple as that. Instead of trying to countermand Prior's lockout, they would simply block the doors open and leave guards at each one. Saxton looked at his friend with a big grin.

"You know something Nader?" He said, "You're not half as dumb as I thought!"

"Thanks pal, you sure know how to make a guy feel good!" he said.

"Okay, now that we have that settled, let's get a move on. We only have about thirty centons left before those Cylons get to the ambush site." Saxton said.

With that, they all began their missions.

It took nearly twenty centons to reach the point where they were going to make there attempt at a rescue. It was a perfect place; the street was littered with rubble from the nearby buildings that had been hit in the bombing by the Cylons. It was a long, narrow stretch of roadway that would provide plenty of cover for them and a fairly clear "Kill Zone" in which to take out the Cylon guards. The only real problem was how to get their people out of the way so they wouldn't get hurt in the firefight that would take place.

"How do propose to get them out of the crossfire Major?" asked Sauer.

Saxton sat for a moment and thought. There had to be a way to let them know without alerting the Cylons what was ahead.

"What about a sign?" asked a young security officer standing nearby.

Sauer was about to say something to the young man, but Saxton stopped him.

"That's not a bad idea, but the Cylons would see it too. It has to be something that only our people would understand."

"I know!" Kelso said excitedly. "I'll need a couple of your jackets and someone to help me."

"What do you have in mind?" Saxton said.

"Just a bit of "Sign Language" Major!" Kelso said with a smile.

"Alright, go ahead." Saxton said as he removed his jacket. Several other Warriors and security officers did the same and handed them to Kelso. The young security officer that mentioned the sign decided to go with Kelso.

"We'll be back in five centons." He said to Saxton.

"Okay, I don't know what you're up too, but good luck." Saxton said.

With that, the two men took off carrying a dozen jackets.

They ran down the street in the direction the Cylons would have to take to get to the aerodrome. They reached a place where the street was very narrow due to the rubble in the street. Kelso looked around and found what he was looking for. He pulled up on a piece of rope that was partially buried under some debris. As it came loose he found it was still connected to the building on the other side of the street, just as he had hoped. On the rope was a banner proclaiming peace and the beginning of a new era for mankind.

At least it was half right!

"Okay, hand me the Major's jacket." He said to the young man.

"Here you go Sergeant." He said.

The Sergeant took the jacket and ran the rope thru one sleeve and out the other, then he handed the end of the rope to the young man.

"You have a name son?" Kelso asked.

"Names Rowser, Corporeal Rowser." He responded.

"Okay Rowser, I'm going to climb up there," Kelso said pointing to a pole that was still standing on the side of the street. "You're going to toss that rope up to me when I get up there, got it"

"Okay!" Rowser said.

Kelso climbed the pole with great ease and motioned for the rope once he hit the top. Rowser tossed it up and Kelso tied it off quickly and slid back down to the ground. He then took a stick and slid the jacket so it was hanging in the middle of the street, about an arms reach above their heads. Then with a large ink marker he took from the DreamWorks, he wrote inside the jacket…….. RESCUE.

Then he told Rowser to place a jacket about every fifty paces or so on one side of the street while he did the same on the other. On each jacket, Kelso wrote a different word. They did this until they reached the area of the ambush, were they put the last few jackets across the street with the word…..NOW, written on them.

With this done, Kelso and Rowser returned to their places under cover.

Saxton asked if they finished.

"Yeah, we left the jackets in plain sight so they'll see them and I wrote a message on them, one word to a jacket, letting them know what was up. By the time they get here, they'll be ready, or at least I hope they will."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough, take a look!" Sauer said as he pointed down the street.

There, the first of the Cylon guards had just rounded the corner and was heading down the street right for them, it's red scanning "eye" moving back and forth in perpetual motion. It walked slowly down the middle of the street turning its head from side to side to increase its "sight" range. It carried a standard Cylon laser rifle while at its waist hung a laser pistol and a large, double edged sword. The Cylon centurion was like most others of its kind, nearly a head taller then the average human male and gleaming brightly with it's highly polish armor plating, it was an impressive and frightening site to behold.

Behind the first Cylon came several more, also carrying laser rifles, but they walked on the edges of the roadway because in between them, struggling to keep going, were throngs of humans! Saxton and the others watched as the Cylon force marched the battered and bloody people down the road. Most looked to be civilians but Saxton could see a number of Warriors among them too. He also noticed that many of them had positioned themselves near the Cylon guards and that they would glance at the jackets lying beside the road as they walked and would rub there left arms, a signal that was commonly used as a signal of understanding among Colonial Warrior's in captivity. Saxton knew that they would be ready to act when the trap was sprung.

Saxton spoke softly into the small com set he was wearing on his head, contacting the other fifteen members of the assault team waiting in ambush.

"All units stand by, looks like our message has been received and understood. Wait for my signal before you move. Stay out of site and no unnecessary movement or talking. Remember, be sure of your targets before you fire and once all the Cylons have been neutralized, move those people out as fast as possible."

A series of clicks let Saxton know his orders had been received and understood. Now all they had to do was wait.

The line of people kept flowing around the corner at the far end of the street. Saxton had already counted over thirty Warriors among the prisoners and all seemed to be in a position to move against the Cylons. Saxton saw among them several Warriors he knew, including the young female Warrior from the P.D.C., Ensign Britt. Also among those he recognized was an older man wearing the dress uniform of a Colonial Commander. It was Commander Laird, the former Commander of the Sixth Colonial Fleet. He retired from active duty over a decade ago after the Sixth Fleet was all but wiped out in the battle for the Narcissus System. He lost over four hundred ships and nearly a five hundred thousand Warriors. He himself survived only because members of his crew were able to carry him to an escape pod and get him off his flagship, the Battlestar Ithica. Gravely injured in the battle, he was retired from full duty and had served as an advisor and part time instructor at the Academy until just recently. Now, here he was being herded along like one of a herd of bovine, having to be supported by an attractive woman that for some reason, Saxton seemed to know but could not place her face. Saxton's thoughts were interrupted by Captain Sauer's hand on his shoulder.

"Their almost in position Major." Sauer said.

Saxton nodded and pressed the switch on his com unit.

"All units stand by. Wait for my signal." He told them.

They watched intently as the Cylons moved forward, still unaware of what was coming. Saxton counted thirty Cylon guards; all were on the outside of the human prisoners making it easier to get clear shots. Everything seemed to be going along just the way it was planned, then all Hades broke lose!

One of the people walking along the outside of the group of humans, a young man of perhaps twenty yahren tried to make a break for it. He started running down one of the side streets in an attempt to get away. The Cylon guard closest to him turned and fired at the young man, barely missing.

At that moment, one of the members of the ambush team pulled up and fired, destroying the Cylon.

From that moment, there was no order to what happened. The members of the ambush team began firing at will, taking down the Cylon guards, while the Warriors among the prisoners began retrieving their weapons and joining in on the battle. Several of the civilians however were caught in the crossfire and were cut down.

Saxton, Sauer and Kelso all joined in the fight, quickly realizing that their carefully laid plans were for naught.

The whole firefight lasted less then a centon, but as the smoke cleared, it became obvious that things had gone seriously awry. Though all the Cylon guards had been dealt with, several members of the ambush team had also been hit, three fatally. There were also about a dozen civilians lying dead and about the same number injured.

This was not how Saxton wanted it to go down. He turned to Sauer and told him to find the man that started firing before the order was given. Sauer nodded and went to find the man. Then he told Kelso to start moving the survivors of the firefight back to the underground base.

He looked at those people that had been injured or killed and a great sadness fell over him. This should not have happened. Then he heard Sauer's voice behind him.

"Major, this is Security Officer Grade Three Albin. He's the one that started this mess." Sauer said with a touch of disgust in his voice. Sauer was angry that one of his men had triggered the firefight.

Saxton walked over to the man, who stood before him at attention, a look of foreboding on his face. Saxton glanced at Sauer, who stood behind the man, anger written all over his face. Then he returned his gaze to the man before him.

"Security Officer Albin, who told you to open fire?" Saxton asked in a very calm voice.

"No one sir!" he replied.

Saxton began to pace slowly in front of the man and asked, "Then why did you open fire? Did you not understand the orders?"

Albin swallowed hard and tried to keep his voice even as he answered.

"I saw the man trying to escape and the Cylon shooting at him. I couldn't just let that guy get blown away, so I fired."

Saxton stopped his pacing and turned to face the young security officer.

"And because you failed to follow orders, there are now over a score of people that have been wounded or killed. We had this ambush set up so as to bring the Cylons into a certain "Kill Zone" where we could take them out quick and clean. By you jumping the gun like that, the Cylons hadn't gotten into position and were able to resist. Those few microns you took from us cost us a lot of lives."

The young man seemed on the verge of tears as Saxton looked toward Sauer.

"Captain Sauer, this is one of your men, as such, I'll leave any disciplinary actions to you." Saxton said.

Sauer nodded and said, "Yes sir, I'll take care of it."

With that, Saxton moved off to help with the injured. Sauer stepped around to face the young security officer, who's expression had relaxed somewhat. One look into Sauer's eyes told him he was far from out of trouble.

"Albin, you might think you just got off easy, but you are so wrong! When I'm done with you, you'll wish the Major had set your punishment, do you read me mister?"

Albin was terrified to think what the Captain had in store for him. All he could do was nod his head. Sauer stepped back from the young man and said, "You better! Now, get your ass moving and help with the wounded."

"Yes sir." Albin said weakly, looking as if he might pass out, and he ran off to help.

Sauer went over to where Saxton and Kelso were looking at the leader of the Cylon guards. Kelso was kneeling down next to the inert form, examining it carefully.

"What's going on?" Sauer asked.

"Kelso thinks the Cylons might have gotten a message off before we blasted them. He's trying to look and see if the leader's internal com unit was active when we shoot it." Saxton told him.

Kelso removed a panel from the back of the Cylon's head and began removing components from it. He pulled out one and examined it closely, then tossed it aside and stood up, wiping his hands on his pant legs.

"What do you think Sergeant? Did he get a message off?" Saxton asked.

"I can't be a hundred percent sure, but I'd say it got off at least a partial message." He told them. "The transmitter was activated but I can't tell if it was able to send more then a micron or two of information before it got zapped."

"Would that be enough time for it to report our location?" Sauer asked.

"I don't know, it would depend on what the processor rate of this particular Cylon is. If it has a standard processor, then probably not, if it has one of the newer one's like we found in a centurion a few sectars ago, then it might have gotten a message off." Kelso said.

"Great! Then let's get these people moving. We may not have a whole lot of time." Saxton said.

Having said that, the three men moved off to try and hurry things along.

Though it took far longer then Saxton would have wished, they were able to get everyone back to the "DreamWorks" without being spotted. The people were ushered into the E.C.C. and given food, water, clean clothing and beds to rest in. The wounded were taken to the Life Center, where a doctor that was among the former prisoners began tending them. Nader and Brix met Saxton, Sauer and Kelso outside the small building on the surface.

"Who's watching Prior?" Saxton asked Nader as they boarded the elevator.

"Ensign Elkin relieved me so I could come up and welcome you home!" Nader said happily.

"I see, and how did the Lieutenant handle being in the brig?" Saxton asked.

"Pretty much as expected, he yelled and screamed bloody murder at first, threatening to have us all brought up on charges and the like, then he settled down and has been fairly quiet." Nader said.

"I wish I knew what to do with him." Saxton said. He looked at Kelso for a moment and asked him, "You said that Prior is an electronics genius earlier. What exactly is his job here? I know it's not the security of the facility."

Kelso chuckled at that.

"No, he's definitely not in security. He was one of the people working in the lower labs. I don't know for sure what project he is on, just that it's one of the bigger ones because they had to bring in more people to help with it."

The elevator opened on the security level. Several of the security officers from Sauer's team were escorting the last of the civilians down to the E.C.C. Saxton asked the senior security officer where the Warriors had been sent. He was told that the Warriors were waiting for him in the senior officer's mess hall. Saxton, Sauer, Nader and Kelso all hopped on the next elevator and descended to the E.C.C. Once there, they made their way to the senior officer's mess, where they found thirty six very tired Warriors seated at the tables, drinking java and eating the first hot meal they probably had in the days.

As Saxton and the others entered, one of the Warriors called them all to attention. Even as exhausted as they were, every last one of them came to their feet smartly. Saxton was filled with pride at seeing these TRUE Warriors.

"Be seated gentlemen, Eat your food and rest. There will be plenty of time for protocol later. Right now I just want to let you all know that for the time being, you're all safe here. Once you've had a chance to rest and get another meal, I'll want to debrief each of you. But, until then, rest!"

"Sir, where are we?" asked a young Ensign. "What is this place?"

Saxton looked at the young man, then at the others who looked at him for an answer. Saxton smiled slightly and said, "For the time being, its home!" Then he turned and left them to their food and thoughts.

Saxton next went to the Life Center to check on the wounded. As he entered, he was surprised by how many people were in there receiving treatment. There must have been thirty people waiting to be seen by the doctor. Most looked to have only minor injuries, cuts and bruises mostly. Saxton made his way into the ward where he saw the lone doctor busy trying to seal a large gash on the leg of one of the Warriors from the group they had rescued. Saxton made his way over to the doctor and watched as he skillfully used the medical instrument to seal the wound and stop the bleeding.

The doctor glanced up at the Major and asked, "Where are you injured Major?"

Saxton was a little surprised by the tone the doctor used, but under the circumstances, he couldn't blame him for being a bit short.

"I'm not injured, I came to ask if….." Saxton started before the doctor cut him off sharply.

"If you're not injured, then get your ass out of here. I don't have the time for chit-chat."

Saxton's temper flared white hot, but he kept his voice even and low.

"I came to ask you doctor if there was anything I could do to help here. I have several men with field med tech experience that could help with the lesser cases."

The doctor raised his eyes from the wound he was working on and said, "Sorry to be so short with you Major, but I've been trying to take care of all these people alone. I'd appreciate any assistance you could send my way, thank you."

Saxton nodded understandingly.

"I'll have them come and lend a hand." He said and turned to leave when he saw in one corner, Commander Laird laying on a bed, the woman that had been helping him along at his side. She now sported bandages on her head and arm. Saxton still couldn't remember where it was he had seen the woman, but knew he had meet her somewhere before. He made his way over to the Commanders bed and looked down on him. He was very pale and had a large bandage on his side. The woman looked up at him and smiled warmly.

"My thanks to you and your men for rescuing us Major. It was a very brave thing you did." She said.

He looked at her and suddenly remembered where it was he had met her. It was at the Academy, just a few sectars ago. Her son was graduating from the Academy and she and her husband were there to see him.

Her husband was Commander Adama!

"It was our pleasure siress. I only wish we could have done it sooner and without so many casualties." He said. "Siress, can ask you a question?"

She looked at him quizzically and nodded consent.

"Are you Commander Adama's wife?" Saxton said softly.

The woman turned her face away from the Major for a moment then she returned her gaze to him.

"Yes Major, Adama is my husband. My name is Illya. And you are….?'

"Major Saxton siress, squadron leader from the Battlestar Atlantia." He answered.

She nodded her head then asked, "If you're from the Atlantia, how is it you are here? I thought you would have left with Adama and the rest of the refugee ships."

"I was trying to save some more of our people by fixing a few more ships. We were able to get four more ships off before the Cylons came back. I took my ship and distracted the Cylons while the other three made good their escape. We crashed back here on Caprica and made our way here to this facility. When we found out about your group being taken to the aerodrome, we decided to ambush the Cylons to get you away from them. And so, here we are. So tell me something siress, why is it that you didn't go with the Galactica?"

She dropped her eyes to the floor and Saxton could tell she was on the verge of tears. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"I couldn't get back in time." She said.

"I'm sure if you had contacted him, he would have waited for you." Saxton said.

"I couldn't do that. If he had waited for me, he would have risked the rest of our people." She said sobbing. "Best he thinks I died."

"You mean he doesn't even know you're alive?" Saxton said.

"No, he doesn't know. I was away from our home when the Cylons attacked. I was visiting with friends in Cardia, celebrating the armistice. Communications were knocked out so we tried to make our way back to Caprica City. We were almost to the city when we came under attack and were forced to land. That's when we were taken prisoner." She told him.

Saxton thought on that for a moment then he was interrupted by Nader's voice.

"Hey Sax, I hate to bother you, but we have some trouble brewing in the main mess hall. I think you better come quick."

Saxton patted Siress Illya on the shoulder and said to her, "I'm sorry that there's nothing I can do to contact the Commander. If you need anything, please feel free to ask."

She looked up at him with a smile and thanked him. Then he left to see what new problems were surfacing.

When he and Nader entered the main mess hall, a crowd had gathered at one end near the passageway leading to the Presidential wing of the facility. Saxton made his way thru the crowd where he found a group of rather richly dressed people arguing with Sergeant Kelso and his men.

Saxton moved up next to Kelso and asked, "Is there a problem here Sergeant?"

Kelso glanced at the Major and said, "Yes sir, it seems these people have a mind to helping themselves to the Presidential wing. I told them it was off limits and they decided to make trouble."

Saxton nodded and stepped up face to face with the man who seemed to be leading the rabble.

"The Sergeant said that area is off limits. By what right do you claim entry into it? Are you the President of the council?" he asked.

The belligerent man took a step back and looked the Major up and down, then asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Major Saxton. Senior officer in this facility and I asked you a question, who are you to try and enter a restricted area when you were denied entry?"

The man looked at him as if he was insane.

"Do you have any idea who I am Major?" he said arrogantly.

"No, I have no idea who you are and frankly I don't really care! All I know is that you and your friends are beginning to get on my nerves. Now answer my question!" Saxton said, his blood starting to rise.

"The man puffed up his chest and in a very self-important voice announced, "I am Sire Cantor, senior advisor to President Adar and this is my staff. We have decided to set up a provisional government here until we can figure out a course of action. As the highest ranking government official here, I order you and these…..men, to stand aside and allow us to enter the Presidential wing."

Saxton cast a glance at Sergeant Kelso, who was about ready to bust the arrogant fool in the mouth with the butt of his laser rifle. Then he glared at the pompous ass before him.

"I see, well let me tell you something Cantor" Saxton began, paying special attention to not using the honorific "Sire" when addressing Cantor. "Since the destruction of the colonies and the deaths of the Council of the Twelve, there is no civilian government. We are under marshal law, which means that the senior military officer present is in command. That officer just happens to be me! So until we have an opportunity to hold open elections, I will decide who can or can't go into the Presidential wing, and since the Sergeant has proposed to place it off limits, I think I'll back his proposal. And, just in case you or anyone else try's to gain entry without my permission, I am giving the Sergeant permission to use whatever force he and his men feel is necessary to keep the area secure. Do you understand me Cantor?"

The man was shocked. Nobody had talked to him like that before. He didn't know how to respond.

"I'd suggest that you and your "staff" go find a place to get some rest. I'll be conducting interviews with all those in this base in the days ahead to find out who we have here and what skills everyone has. Things are going to be kinda chaotic for awhile around here."

Cantor suddenly looked as if someone had pulled a plug out of him and let all of the air out. He muttered something under his breath as he turned away and left, his "staff" following behind him.

"Thanks for the backup Major. That guy was beginning to get on my nerves." Kelso said.

"Not a problem. I'd suggest you place more guards on this area. I don't think this Cantor guy will give up so easy."

"You might be right; I'll increase the guard here and have someone keep an eye on that bunch, just in case!" Kelso said.

Saxton nodded and went off to find a place for himself to catch a bit of sleep.

He was awakened by one of Kelso's men a short time later, a very frightened expression on his face.

"What is it Corporeal?" he asked groggily.

"Sorry to wake you sir, but Captain Nader sent me. There's something coming thru on one of the military channels you'll want to hear."

Saxton nodded his head and got up from the floor where he had been sleeping, and followed the Corporeal to the communications area of the E.C.C. There, a group of Warriors, security officers, and civilians had gathered. Saxton made his way into the room and asked what was going on.

"We picked this up a few centons ago Sax!" Nader said. "It's coming from Scorpia. The signal identification is that of the Scorpion Defense Command. Evidently, their still under attack and giving the Cylons a Hades of a time. We've been able to clear it up some, but the interference is still pretty bad."

Saxton nodded and told the operator, "Let's hear it crewman."

The young woman operating the communications equipment nodded and flipped a toggle on the panel in front of her and then adjusted the volume. What they all heard would haunt them for the rest of their lives!

"This is Commander Alexander of the Scorpion Defense Command, the planet Scorpia is under heavy attack by up to eleven Cylon Baseships. Our defense's are holding for now, but it is only a matter of time before the Cylons are able to penetrate our defense and begin landing invasion troops on our planet. We are putting out this general distress call to anyone who can lend assistance to us." came the calm, professional voice with the thick Scorpion accent. "Lieutenant, transfer batteries one eleven thru one twenty to beta sector, they have heavy incoming fighters. Have batteries one twenty one and one twenty two cover their flank." He yelled to someone out of range of the microphone. Then he continued.

"We have monitored the attacks on the other colonies since they began and were surprised to find so little resistance. Since we received no advanced warning from Caprica, I assume that the rumors are true about some sort of conspiracy and sabotage of the defense networks on other colonies. Only Sagittara and Scorpia are still able to resist the invading Cylons. If there is anyone out there that can hear my voice, PLEASE respond."

Saxton looked at Nader and asked, "Can we make contact with them?"

Nader nodded and said, "Yeah, we can contact them, but not without giving away our position here."

Saxton nodded his head and thought for a moment.

"How long would it take for the Cylons to get a fix on us?"

Nader thought for a moment and said, "Five or six centons I'd guess. Their equipment isn't as good as ours so they might take a bit longer then we would. Why?"

"I want to contact them. I want them to know that their message is being heard and that they are not alone!" Saxton said.

Nader nodded his head, understanding the sentiments of his friend. He worked with the young crewman to set up the link between Caprica and Scorpia. After a few centons it was ready.

"Okay Sax, we're ready. I don't know how long you'll have, but you should get a good four or five centons before they start triangulating on us. I'll monitor their search scans and let you know when to stop." Nader told him.

"Good enough, tell me when." Saxton said, placing a headset on.

Nader checked a few settings on the communications panel and then nodded to Saxton.

"Commander Alexander, this is Major Saxton on Caprica. We hear your transmission."

The voice on the other end came back with a great deal of relief and joy.

"Damn good to hear your voice Major! I was beginning to think we were the only ones left. What is your status Major?"

"We're planetside near the Presidium sir. Our planetary defenses were sabotaged by Picerian traitors who were in league with the Cylons. Piceria was to be spared if they helped the Cylons destroy the rest of the colonies."

"Understood Major, do you have any way to resist there? Can you mount a counterstrike?" the Commander asked.

"Negative sir, I have less then a hundred Warriors and limited weapons. We have taken cover in a facility and are setting up for the Cylon siege. The best we can do here sir is try and save as many of our people as we can to try and preserve our species."

"Understood Major, it sounds like you have a sound plan. I wish you well. I'd like to ask you a favor Major, one Warrior to another."

Saxton looked up at Nader and the others and said, "Anything sir. You name it!"

"There was a slight pause and a number of voices in the back ground. Then the Commander was back.

"Sorry Major, the Cylons seem to be pulling back." He said.

"Are they pulling out sir?" Saxton asked.

"I doubt it Major, most likely their just regrouping for another go at us. Not to worry though, we've beat them back a dozen times already and we'll keep knocking them back as long as they keep coming." He said confidently. "Major, I'd still like you to do me a favor though, if this battle does go bad for us here and you and your people do manage to survive, I'd appreciate it if you let all those that survive this holocaust know what happened here on Scorpia. How we fought the good fight and how we never surrendered. I want the people of the colonies to remember, that we refused to give up and that we died at our posts, doing our duty till the end. Let the people know that Scorpia was never conquered! Would you do this for me Major?"

Saxton had a knot in his throat. He could hear in the mans voice that he didn't expect to survive the day and wanted it known that he and those who served with him had done their duty to the end. He would do all he could to make sure his request would be carried out.

"Commander, you have my word as a Warrior that I'll make sure every man, woman and child that lives from this day forward knows of you and the brave men and women that serve with you this day. Your deeds this day will never be forgotten!" Saxton said with great emotion.

"My thanks Major. Knowing that makes me feel much better." The Commander said. Then something must have happened because the Commander's attention was drawn away for a moment.

"Major, something is going on here. I'm going to leave this link active so you can hear what is going on. Standby!"

"Yes sir." Saxton said as he heard the Commander giving orders and answering questions.

"What are those galmonging Cylons doing now?... Why would they pull out all their fighters?... Did you say the Baseships are moving away from the planet? Dear Lords of Kobol! Their going to launch their missiles!... Alert all batteries to target incoming missiles…. Missiles inbound!... Loose all batteries, fire at will!... Commander, we can't get all of them, some are coming thru!... Dear Lords help us!"

Then there was a series of loud rumblings and the screams of men and women terrified by what was happening around them. Saxton and the others stood transfixed by what they were hearing.

"Commander, ground shifts are occurring planet wide, level nine in some places. There have been multiple missile hits on every continent and in every major city." Someone yelled on the other end of the link.

Nader whispered under his breath, "Level nine ground shifts! Good Lords, nothing can survive that!"

Then Commander Alexander came back on the line.

"Major! We've taken multiple missile hits all over the planet. Ground shifts have reached level nine and are increasing. The whole planet is tearing itself apart! Sagittara has been hit likewise. Their experiencing the same ground shifts. Good Lord, Sagittara has just come apart! It's blown up!... Commander, ground shifts are at level ten…. We're done for Major! This is it! Remember us Major! Remem..."

Before he could finish, a huge rumbling sound drowned out the rest. Then there was nothing but static!

The communications room was dead silent except for the static hiss coming from the speakers. Nader cut the transmission and thus plunged the room into absolute silence. After several microns, Saxton looked at Nader and asked, "Are you picking up anything?"

Nader listened for a moment, then shook his head slowly.

Several of the people started to cry. Saxton looked at the faces of those who stood by and had heard the events as they transpired.

"Those of you here, you have just been witness to one of the bravest stands in human history. It is our duty to let the others know what it was we heard here this day and to be sure that the sacrifice those brave Warriors made is never forgotten." Saxton said somberly. "I think that we should all bow our heads in silent prayer and pray for our fallen brothers and sisters on Scorpia and Sagittara."

All those present bowed their heads and prayed for their fallen comrades.

The next few days were spent conducting interviews with all the people in the underground complex. The events of the past few days had a profound effect on most of the people in the facility, but there was work to be done and work would help everyone from dwelling too much on recent events. Saxton, Nader, Sauer, Kelso, Illya, and a man named Bawel conducted the interviews in the main mess hall. Bawel it turned out had done job placements for companies that needed to find employees but didn't have the resources to do so. He had a keen insight into people and Saxton wanted to take advantage of this skill.

The interviews went fairly smooth, no one caused any problems and there were very few surprises. The only real surprise was finding a man that had been a prisoner in one of the maximum security prisons among the survivors. Saxton remembered the man at the rescue scene trying to save the life of a Warrior that had been shot by a Cylon and then helping with the wounded, even going as far as carrying an older man in his arms when the man could not go on. To Saxton and the others on the panel, this man, Konz, had earned a second chance for freedom with his selfless actions.

That could not be said for Cantor or his people. They had insisted at being the first to be interviewed and then refused to answer many of the questions put to them. Saxton was at one point about to climb over the table and strangle Cantor, but a calm and cool Illya kept him from doing it. Having her on the panel was a definite benefit.

When finally, the last of the interviews was done, they started going over the information. Among the things they had learned was that there were three hundred forty one people in the facility, one hundred ninety six of those female. They also found that there were thirty eight children under the age of fourteen and twenty two seniors over a hundred.

There were now seventy two Warriors and twenty two security officers to provide protection and security to the facility. Also among the refugees were three med techs, an education instructor, four electricians, five cooks, and over a dozen other people with useable skills. The future of their little group appeared to be somewhat brighter.

Bawel and Nader went about designating jobs to the various people while Sauer and Kelso worked out a security rotation for the different areas. Saxton and Illya meanwhile began working on having an election for a civilian government. They both thought it important to try and keep as much of their civilization alive as possible, and having a civilian government would be a big step in that direction.

"First we have to set up the offices to be voted on, then we need to set the rules for voting." Illya said.

"What kind of rules? Each person gets one vote for each office." Saxton said.

"So you wish to let the children vote?" She said with a slight smile.

Saxton laughed at the thought of a six yahren old voting for the new President.

"Okay, you got me on that one, but I think the hardest part we be keeping certain people from bullying others into voting there way!" Saxton said.

"You mean Sire Cantor and his retinue. I've been thinking about them. If they were to gain leadership of our new government, I think things would not be so good for the people." Illya said. "We would have to find someone that could beat them fairly and decisively. Someone like you!"

Saxton was shocked.

"ME! Why me, I'm no politician. I'm a Warrior."

"True, and that's why you would be perfect. Cantor and his cronies are career politicians, and everyone knows that their kind are nothing but two legged vermin"

"Siress! Isn't Adama a politician?" Saxton said before he could stop himself, not wanting to remind her of her loss.

Illya laughed a little sadly and said, "Yes Major, Adama was a politician, but he was a Warrior long before that. I'm sure you would be a fine President."

Saxton thought about it for a moment, then shook his head saying, "I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I have no want to be President. My whole life, all I ever wanted to be was a Warrior and that's what I am."

Illya nodded her head, understanding fully the feelings he had having heard similar words from Adama yahren before. Then Saxton gave her a bit of a shock.

"Why not run yourself Siress?" he said. "The people know Adama and you have done numerous charitable works in the communities on Caprica. You're honest and caring and would look out for the best interest of the people, unlike Cantor."

She started to protest, then stopped. Why not run for President? She had few other skills to offer except those learned in a lifetime of service on different boards of organizations and being wed to Adama, helping him with hundreds of situations dealing with the council. She could do it!

"You're right Major, I should run, after all, someone has to be sure not to let Cantor and his people take charge. I'll do it!"

"Excellent!" Saxton nearly shouted, "We need to start letting the people know about the election and about you. I'll have some people start passing the word about the election. I'll also make sure that Cantor and his cronies don't try and "influence" anyone with their bullying tactics like they tried on Kelso earlier. When do you think we should hold the election?"

"The sooner we hold them, the sooner we can get down to the business of deciding what to do next. I say we hold the election tomorrow." Illya said.

"Tomorrow it is. I'll have Nader and Sauer help set things up in the main mess hall." Saxton said as he stood to leave.

"Major!" Illya said suddenly. "What do you think is going to happen to us? Mankind I mean?"

He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don't really know Siress. I guess we'll find out tomorrow." Then he turned and left.

Word of an election spread quickly thru the base and as expected, Cantor and his people began going from one person to another, trying to insure their votes. Those who didn't know who to vote for or that were leaning the other way were pressured to change their minds, at least until a group of Warriors and security officers began shadowing their every move, then they were forced to stop with the heavy handed methods and try using good old fashioned politics, in other words……they started lying.

In any case, their tactics backfired on them, because after the voting was done and the results tallied, this was done by two priests and Commander Laird, who had made a remarkable recovery. When all was said and done, the final tally was…….Illya received two hundred eighty four votes to Cantor's fourteen.

Cantor was furious, but said he would abide by the vote and would help the new President in whatever capacity she deemed worthy of someone with his experience and skills, hoping to be appointed to a position of power from which he could someday take power from the woman. Cantor knew if he was patient, opportunity would come.

After the election, Illya was very happy. She wished that Adama could see her now, her first election and she won by a greater margin then even he had ever achieved. The celebration lasted only a short time however. There were things that needed to be done and they had to be done now.

"So, madam President, what is it you plan on doing first?" asked Cantor sarcastically. "Will you order a counterstrike against the Cylon invaders or will you try and make peace with them as your predecessor tried to do?"

Saxton rose from his seat, wanting to pound the life out of the pompous ass, but was halted by Illya's hand on his arm. He looked at her and reseated himself, invoking a series of chuckles from Cantor and his followers. Then Illya stood up and looked around the room. She could see everyone waiting for her to answer the question.

She turned her gaze to Cantor, and with a gentle smile said to them, "I would like nothing better then to rid our worlds of the blight that is the Cylon Empire. But with less then four score of Warriors, only a fool would even suggest such a course of action."

This brought howls of laughter directed at Cantor for making the stupid statement. Cantor tried to sink deeper into his chair to hide from the ridicule.

Illya watched him squirm for a moment, her smile never changing, and then began speaking again. This calmed the people's laughter down, much to Cantors relief.

"As for the other suggestion, trying to make peace with the Cylons, we've already learned that the Cylons can't be trusted. The proof is on the surface above. No my friends, resistance and retribution are not options. The war is over, and we lost! The only thing we can do now is survive. Survive as a species so that some day we might be able to regain those things that we've lost these past few days. Survive so that maybe our children, or our children's children can reclaim the surface of Caprica and return it to its former glory. The key here is that first, above all else, we must survive! That is what I'm going to be working toward. The survival of the human race."

"Madam President, my name is Tunnell, I was a cook at the Presidium Club before the attacks and have been assigned duties in the galley. I was wondering what the food and water situation was down here. Is there enough for everyone?"

Illya turned to Saxton, who stood and began to explain their situation.

"Upon coming to this facility several days ago, I was informed by Sergeant Kelso of the base security detachment that this facility has enough food, water, clothing and medical supplies to support over ten thousand people for a period of five yahren. Since we now have less then four hundred people here, we should be able to stretch that for at least twenty five yahren if not more. That's assuming that we don't find more survivors or have a sudden influx of babies born over the next few yahren."

This last statement brought a chorus of laughter from the crowd. Then a woman near the back of the room brought forth a question that was on many peoples minds.

"Madam President, you mentioned earlier something about our children and our children's children. What did you mean by that? Do you expect us to start having children? That may be fine for those who are unwed right now, but what of those among us that are already sealed? Do you expect us to forgo our sealing vows and remarry?"

Illya smiled gently at the woman, knowing that there was no easy way to say what she must.

"My friend, I know how you feel. I too have been separated from my family and am unsure of the future. I can not tell you what to do in this matter, you will each have to make up your own mind on what you will do in regards to past and future relationships. I can tell you this, that if we are to continue as a species, we will have to procreate, and that means we will have to do this from the genie pool we have here in this facility."

"Will you be pitching in to increase the population Madam President?" Cantor asked, smirking.

Illya looked at the smug fool, still smiling as she had been and said, "I, unfortunately am too old the give birth to anymore children, but if I was still able to, then yes, I would be very happy to have another child."

Cantor was feeling even smugger after that answer and decided to press the issue farther.

"So tell us Madam President, who among all these worthy gentlemen would you allow the privilege of sharing your bed?"

A hush fell over the crowd as Cantor laughed at what he thought was a fine joke. Saxton and Sauer both came to their feet in an instant and started toward the pompous fool with blood in their eyes.

"Hold your places gentlemen!" Illya said quickly. This halted the two men before they could reach Cantor, who was suddenly aware that he had been the only one to find humor in his little jest. Seeing the two men heading toward him with murderous intent in their eyes silenced him.

Illya turned her gaze back to Cantor, her smile never wavering, and said, "You are right Cantor, that there are many fine men in this room, and if I were young enough to have a child I would have to chose one of them. But I can tell you one thing I know for sure, that if you were the last man on Caprica and the only way to ensure the survival of the human race was to have a child with you, I'd see our species extinct first before I'd do that."

This brought howls of laughter and applause from the crowd, even the members of Cantors "staff" had moved away from him and were applauding loudly.

Cantor could take no more! He jumped up from his chair and stormed out of the main mess hall, his face nearly as red as the cloak he was wearing. This brought even more cheering and even several comments from those he passed.

Saxton and Sauer looked at each other and smiled. It would seem that their new President was more then capable of handling just about any situation that came her way, even one as disturbing as Cantor. The two of them returned to their seats as Illya continued.

"My apologizes to you all for that mans rude behavior. It is unfortunate that some people seem to think they can say or do whatever they feel like because they have been privileged for most of their lives. I hope we won't have to go thru anything like that again."

There was a general consensus among the people agreeing with that statement.

"Now that we've gotten rid of that bothersome lout, we can take care of a few other matters. As President, it is my great pleasure to tell you that I am naming Major Saxton as the commander of this facility and of all Colonial Forces therein. With this comes a promotion to the rank of Commander, effective immediately."

Saxton was stunned by the announcement. He never expected anything like this. He rose from his seat and accepted the Presidents hand on the honor.

"I thank you Madam President. I will do my very best to protect and defend our people." He said.

"I know you will Commander, as you have done so well in the past. I will leave you to fill your staff and give to them the appropriate promotions. Just leave your list of promotions with my new assistant, Sire Bawel when you have them please." Illya said.

"Yes Madam President, I'll do it right away." Saxton said.

The rest of the day was spent putting together staffs to work on the various things that would be need in the near future. Illya was still in the main mess hall working at one of the tables with several people she had chose to help get the new government up and running when Saxton, Sauer, Nader, and Kelso approached the table. Illya looked up at the group and asked them what they wanted.

"Madam President, there is a matter that requires your immediate attention. Would you please come with us?" Saxton said, a look of grave seriousness on his face.

Not knowing what could be so serious that it would require her four most senior officers to come and get her made her somewhat nervous. She got up from here seat and followed them to a set of huge, ornate double doors where two heavily armed security officers stood on either side of the doors. As the group approached, they came to attention and saluted. Illya knew she was required to return the salute from her many trips the military functions with Adama. The guards then reached for the doors and opened them.

Illya looked inside and saw a magnificently appointed area, with rich furnishings and thick, colorful carpets and art works on the walls. There were several doors along the walls and what looked like a large desk at the far end of the room. She turned to Saxton and asked him, "What is this place Commander?"

Saxton and the others all smiled and Saxton told her, "This is your new quarters Madam President!"

She turned to face him, a look of disbelief on her face.

"My … quarters? You can't be serious Commander?" She said.

"I'm afraid so Madam President. This is not only your personal living area, but it's also your office and working area." He said as he led her into the Presidential wing. He turned to Sergeant Kelso and asked him to explain the layout.

"This area is the main greeting area. This is where those people with business to discuss will be seated until you are ready to see them." Kelso said as he waved his hand to encompass the room.

"Through those doors there are your personal offices, which include your own personal communications system, meeting area, and a dinning area for executive dinners and the like. Through that door is your personal living spaces. You have a living area, full private dinning area, three bed chambers and I believe there is still a hot water soaking vat in the private gymnasium." Kelso said with a smile.

Illya was shocked by the lavishness of the place. She felt as if she was in one of the finest hostelries on Caprica instead of four kilometrons below the surface.

"What do you think Madam President? Are these quarters adequate?" Saxton asked, a huge smile on his face.

Illya turn to face him, her smile nearly as wide as his.

"Oh yes! More then sufficient Commander." She told him, then she asked Sergeant Kelso, "What's behind those doors?" she asked pointing at a group of doors on the opposite wall.

"That area thru there is for the Council of the Twelve and their staffs." He said pointing to one set of doors, then indicating another set, he said, "And thru there are the quarters for your staff. In all, the Presidential wing has room to house over a hundred people."

"I doubt I'll have need of so much space, perhaps we should assign those quarters to other people, those that have been of greatest service in this time of crisis?" she said.

"That is entirely up to you Madam President, but I would be careful who you allowed residence in this area." Saxton advised.

"Yes, I'd have to be prudent about who was placed there but I can't see letting all those rooms go to waste. I'll draft a list of personnel that I believe have earned a place in those rooms. I'll have you and the Sergeant go over the list and we'll contact those persons discretely. Agreed?" she said.

Saxton and Kelso exchanged a glance and a nod and Saxton said, "That sounds like a good plan to us Madam President."

Illya nodded and then turned to face all those present.

"Gentlemen, I want to thank each and every one of you for what you've done in these most trying times. In truth, I would not even be here had it not been for your courage and daring. I owe you four and those that serve you my life, as do most of those in this complex. I can never fully repay that debt, but I will try and do whatever I can to make sure your sacrifice was not in vain." She told them. "I don't know what the future holds for us all, but I can tell you this…… mankind will survive! We will continue on and someday, we will reclaim our home worlds! We will return to the surface and rebuild.

We will have final victory!"

Having said that, the three Warriors and the security officer saluted the new President, and began looking forward to the future!


	9. Return of the Masters

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter Nine**

**Return of the Masters**

**The room was dark, the only light coming from the fire pit at the center of the chamber. The fire warmed the room nicely and gave off just enough light for the room's single occupant to see perfectly without being seen unless he wished it. The lone figure preferred the dark. There was something comforting about it. Something safe! **

**The lone figure seemed to be in a trance of some sort, standing in the shadows, staring at the flames as they danced around the pit. Nothing of this person could be seen, every last centimetron being covered by the long, brownish-green cloak with the hood pulled up over the head so as to hide the beings face entirely. The figure stood almost perfectly still, one could almost mistake him for a statue. The only sound in the room was that of the fire. **

**The quiet was interrupted by the arrival of another individual, dressed in the same fashion as the first. The second figure approached the first slowly, stopping several paces from the first and bowed deeply at the waist, and in a language that had not been heard anywhere outside of this one world in nearly twelve hundred yarhen, the second figure spoke.**

"**By your command!" came a voice, speaking words no other beings could hope to understand.**

**The first figure did not move, did not so much as acknowledge the arrival of the second figure. For several microns there was total silence in the chamber as the second figure neither spoke again nor rose from its bowed position. Then, after nearly a full centon had passed, the first figure spoke in the same strange and guttural language.**

"**Speak Tassos!" **

**The second figure rose from the bowed position and began to speak.**

"**We have just received a transmission from the old space, Imperium. The news is not good."**

"**What news from the old space have you received?" the first figure asked.**

"**The news tells that the humans have lost their war. That they have been routed and are now fleeing to the far reaches of the cosmos." Tassos said.**

**The first figure, the one Tassos referred to as Imperium, said nothing for several long microns. Once again the only sound in the room was that of the fire burning. Then the one called Imperium spoke again.**

"**This is indeed foul news. Go you, and have all of my ministers and military commanders assemble in the great hall at once. I will need to address this new situation with them."**

"**By your command!" Tassos said as he bowed again and backed away, turning only after exiting the room.**

**The Imperium stood as before, perfectly still, staring at the flames. There was a slight sound of movement to the Imperium's right as another figure appeared from the darkness. This one too was dressed in the full length brownish-green robes. It moved up next to the Imperium and stood for several moments, silent as the other. Then the Imperium spoke.**

"**You heard?"**

"**Yes, I heard. This is news we knew would come someday." **

"**Yes, we always knew it would. Now we must deal with it." The Imperium said.**

"**And what will you do?" asked the figure next to the Imperium.**

**The Imperium was silent for a moment, then spoke again.**

"**I will do what I have always known I would have to do. I will gather our forces and begin the journey back to the old space. We will do that which we have left for far too long to the other beings of the old space. The time has come for us to return and set right that which our ancestors let loose on the galaxy long, long ago."**

**The Imperium stepped closer to the fire pit, still staring into the flames. He reached up with both hands, hands that had long and deadly looking claws on the scaled fingers, and pulled the hood of the robe back. The face that was revealed was that of a being that had not been seen outside that world for well over a millennium. It was the face of long repressed nightmares in many species that had not existed in the galaxy for twelve centuries.**

**It was the face of a True, Living Cylon!**

"**It is time that we return to our home world and rid it and the universe of the Centurions that our ancestors allowed to all but wipe out our race. It is time we return and take back that which is rightfully ours!**


	10. Farewell to Phantom Base

**Battlestar** **Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter Ten**

**Farewell to Phantom Base**

**It had been fifteen yahren since the fall of the colonies and over seventeen since most of those who inhabited the far distant outpost of humanity had seen their former homes. The news of the destruction of everything they knew had taken more then a yahren to reach them, so far outside of Colonial space as they were. Every person on that base had lost someone in the fall of the colonies…… wives, husbands, children, parents, friends……. Someone!**

**But there was little the small group of humans could do about it. They were too far away and too few to have been of any real help anyway. The only thing they could do was to survive and to try and rebuild the civilization that had been destroyed. That's what the leaders had told the people of Phantom Base. That it was for the memory of all those who died that they must carry on and insure that humanity did not perish. And so, that is what every man, woman, and child living within the facility strived toward, the continuation of the human species.**

**And so it went, the people of Phantom Base continued to go about the business of survival. They continued to do the job that had been set out for them many yahren before by the great Commander Cain, to go forth into this nearly unexplored region of space, to a secret shipyard and refinery, and rebuild the Colonial fleet. This they had done even after word had reached them about the demise of Cain and the Fifth Fleet at Molocay some fourteen yahren ago. Then when word came about the fall of the colonies, the people reacted in a variety of was. Some were angered and swore revenge, wanting to take the first of the Battlestar's they had built, the Battlestar Genesis, and return to the colonies to exact some measure of vengeance, even though it was not complete at the time. **

**Other people became terrified, thinking that the Cylons would find out where the base was and would come there next. These people wanted to flee farther into uncharted space, not knowing or caring if there were any inhabitable planets beyond the other side of the asteroid belt, just wanting to be away from that place.**

**There were many reactions to the destruction of the colonies, but the people were held together by the courage and shear will of one man. **

**Commander Verga. **

**He had been hand picked by Commander Cain himself to take charge of the project that Cain had named "Project Genesis", an audacious plan to rebuild the Battlestar fleet in secret, without the permission or knowledge of the Council of the Twelve. Along with several other key officers and scientist, they were able to not only build Battlestars, six complete to date and three others in various stages of construction, but they had also been busy building three different types of fighters to fly off these ships and a new, more powerful variation of the old Solinite missiles that the Colonial fleet had used for over seven hundred yahren. They had also built and operated one of the largest and finest Tylium refineries and storage facilities ever built by man. **

**Then there was the huge agro-complex built on one of the larger asteroids, this facility was built after the original base when it became obvious that they would have to become self sufficient and provide for their own food and water. The agro-complex was broke down into several different sections, each with its own special environment to facilitate the growing of the widest variety of foods as possible. There were also a large number of animal habitats where large herds of bovine and other food animals were raised as well as many species of animals from the colonies, such as daggets, that were used in other ways by the colonists. **

**Yes, Phantom Base had gone thru a great deal over the yahren, but the most important challenge was still to come.**

**In the main conference room of the Command Center, Commander Verga was in the middle of the sectars progress reports and briefing session. He was sitting in his usual chair at the head of the large, triangle shaped table listening to a report by one of the officers from the fuel storage facility. Something to do with all the storage tanks almost being filled to capacity and needing to start construction on more tanks. They had already expanded the tank farm three times in the past nine yahren, tripling the original fuel storage capability. It was all Verga could do to stay awake.**

"**If we don't build the requested twenty extra storage tanks Commander, we won't have any place to put the tylium we're producing. The only other option is to cut back on the production by at least ninety percent." The officer said.**

**Verga nodded his head slowly and considered what the man had just said. It seemed stupid to build more tanks for fuel that they would probably never use. The decision was an easy one.**

"**Very well Lieutenant Gayland, I will issue orders to cut production by ninety percent. That should allow you to store what has already been produced without too much trouble."**

**The lieutenant nodded his head and said, "Yes sir, that should do the trick. Thank you sir!"**

**Verga nodded and placed the folder with the information about the fuel farm into a stack of other folder, folders containing the information on the other problems they had already dealt with that day. Then Verga reach for a folder on a stack on the other side of the table containing the next problem. Verga let out a deep sigh as he began to open the file, when the base paging system interrupted.**

"**Command Center to Commander Verga!" the voice of the Command Duty Officer, Captain Dante called.**

"**Excuse me a moment gentlemen" Verga said, thankful for the break in the mundane routine of the meeting. He picked up the handset of the com system next to his seat and punched in the appropriate code for the C.D.O. Captain Dante answered right away.**

"**This is Commander Verga Captain, what do you need?" Verga asked.**

"**Commander, we have an outer defense grid detection." The Captain reported.**

**A single detection was not too uncommon; there had been hundreds of similar detections over the yahren, mostly just small ships from one of the unexplored star systems that they had picked up on their scanners over the yahren. Verga wondered what could be so interesting about this one that the C.D.O. would call him. When he asked that question of Captain Dante, the answer was not what he expected. **

"**Sir, the incursion occurred in Alpha sector!" Dante said, a touch of concern evident in his voice.**

**What was unusual about this one was that it was in Alpha sector, the sector that was in a direct line with the Colonies. It was the first time a detection alert had been set off in that sector since the last personnel convoy arrived after the destruction of the colonies.**

"**Were you able to identify the contact?" Verga asked, causing the others in the room to lean forward in their seats, concerned with what the Commander was talking about.**

"**Negative sir, the contact never crossed the detection net, it just came within range of scanner satellite number thirteen five two nine. It tripped the scanner alarm and that was it." Dante told him.**

**Verga thought about this for a moment. The contact had not penetrated the grid, but merely passed close by, and without a positive ID, there wasn't much he could really do at that point.**

"**Should I order the base to alert level Alpha sir?" Dante asked when the Commander didn't say anything.**

"**No, not yet, we don't have enough information on that contact to call an alert." Verga said thoughtfully. "I do however want you to continue to monitor Alpha sector as well as all adjoining sectors more carefully."**

"**Yes sir, I'll increase the signal boost for those sectors. Maybe we can get an ID on that contact if it comes back." Dante said.**

"**Very good Captain, keep me informed, Verga out!" **

**Verga replaced the handset and sat thinking about the contact. Who or what could it have been? His revere was broken by a voice from the room.**

"**What's happened Commander?" Commander Bannon asked from his seat on Verga's right. Bannon was his second in command and his closest friend and confidant. He had been the Commanding officer of the Colonial Gunstar Phoenix before coming to Phantom Base to run the shipyard section of the base. The job he had done there was beyond belief. Normally, it took five yahren to build a Battlestar; Bannon however had found a way to increase production and had built six complete Battlestars and had three others in various stages of completion all in just over twelve yahren.**

**Verga looked at his friend, then realized that everyone in the room was staring at him, wondering what had happened. They had heard him mention the detection grid and everyone of them knew what that meant. Someone or something had come close to their home.**

"**There was a detection grid alert a few centons ago. Nothing to worry about so far, whoever it was, they didn't cross the grid, just came close to it. It's probably nothing!" Verga said, trying to convince himself of it as much as he was the others.**

"**I see, did they get an ID on the contact?" Bannon asked.**

"**No, it didn't come close enough for that. It was just close enough to set off the alarm and wake the C.D.O. up!" Verga said with a slight laugh.**

**This brought chuckles from everyone in the room except Bannon.**

"**Gentlemen, as much as I'd like to continue with our briefing here, I think I'm going to stop for now. I'd like to take a look at the information on this contact myself, and besides……I have to use the turboflush!" Verga said with a wink. "So, we will pick this up next secton. Thank you for coming gentlemen, Dismissed!"**

**The assembled officers and civilians rose from their chairs and made their way from the room, only Verga, Bannon, Commander Raylac and Colonel Leon remained behind. **

"**So Commander, what is it about this contact that has you worried?" asked Bannon, knowing his longtime friend too well to be fooled by his light attitude with the rest of the base staff.**

**Verga leaned back in his seat and looked at Bannon. The man was very intuitive Verga thought.**

"**There was nothing too strange about it really….." Verga said. "….except it was in Alpha sector!"**

**Bannon leaned forward in his seat, "Alpha sector! Are they sure?"**

**Verga nodded his head slowly. "Yes Commander, it was confirmed. The contact was in the sector that faces the colonies. There's no evidence to prove who it was or even that it was a spacecraft at all. It could have been an asteroid or a comet. But whatever it was, it was the first contact we've had in that sector in nearly thirteen yahren, and that concerns me."**

"**Should we send out a patrol to investigate?" asked Commander Raylac.**

"**No, I don't think we need to do that, at least not yet." Verga said. "I'd hate for it to be a Cylon patrol craft and have them spot our patrol. All we'd need is to have the Cylons coming down on us. Until we have a positive ID on it, we won't be able to do more then monitor that sector."**

"**You're probably right Commander, but maybe we should think about going to alert level Alpha. Having the battle fleet ready wouldn't hurt." Bannon said.**

**Verga thought about it for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I considered that Commander, but I don't want to send the whole base into a panic over what could be nothing. I think its best that we wait until we have more information."**

"**As you wish sir. You're probably right; it most likely was nothing to be concerned about." Bannon said, only half believing it.**

"**Then for the time being, we will wait and see if our mystery contact returns, and if so, we'll see if we can figure out who it is and what their doing." Verga said. "Now gentlemen, I think we should all get back to our duties, but first, I've got to use the turboflush!"**

**And so it went, they continued to monitor the Alpha sector for the next three sectons and were even able to increase the scanning range of the satellites in that sector by twenty two percent. Unfortunately, there had been no further contact.**

**Life at Phantom Base went on as before, though both production of Tylium and the building of any new ships and missiles were put on hold. Commander Verga decided that they would not be able to operate anymore Battlestars then they already had since there would be no more people coming from the colonies. They would have to make due with the six Battlestars that were complete and the three unfinished ones. With the advances they had made in computer control systems over the yahren, it was now possible to operate a Battlestar with less then half the regular compliment of personnel. This was to prove to be a very important improvement.**

**During the mid-day shift in the Command Center, Commander Verga and Colonel Leon were going over the plans for a new housing development that was going to be needed due to the increase in the population on the base over the yahren. People on the base knew that whatever life they had back on the homeworlds was now gone, and they would have to move on with their lives as best they could. So, after a time the members of the various facilities began falling in love and becoming sealed, then having children. Commander Verga was performing a dozen or more sealings every secton. Now all those new families were in need of housing. It was unrealistic to expect married couples to continue living in barracks like they had been when they arrived here, so now it was time to expand the living areas. **

**Or so they thought!**

"**Commander Verga, I've just had an outer defense grid detection alert!" the young, blond woman at the scanner console announced.**

**Verga and Leon both looked up quickly and Verga asked, "Location?"**

**The young woman was already working on the precise grid in the net. She half turned to the Commander as he and Leon approached her station.**

"**Alpha sector, grid nine sir." She told him.**

"**Do you have identification on that contact Lieutenant?" Verga asked.**

"**I'm working on it sir, the contact hasn't crossed the defense grid as yet, it just came close enough to trip the alarm, just like last time." She said.**

**Verga wondered if this contact had somehow detected their satellites and was just testing them. Then Lieutenant Dawn spoke again.**

"**Commander, that contact in Alpha sector just crossed the detection grid at grid four, satellite zero five four." She reported.**

"**I want an ID on that contact immediately Lieutenant, we need to know who it is we have out there playing hide-n-seek?" Verga said. **

**Then he turned to the officer at the communications console and ordered her to contact all senior officers and have them report to the Command Center immediately. Then he turned back to Lieutenant Dawn.**

"**Do you have that contact ID'd yet Lieutenant?" he asked.**

"**It's coming thru now sir!" she said as the readout on the intruder was being printed out on the screen. What materialized there could not have been worse!**

**It was a Cylon ship!**

"**Dear Lords, it can't be!" Colonel Leon whispered.**

**Verga looked at it in disbelief. He reached over the shoulder of Lieutenant Dawn, who had become frozen with dread, and ran the ID search again. A few microns later, the computer came up with the same conclusion. It was Cylon!**

"**A Cylon reconnaissance ship, Seeker class. That's not good news." Verga said. **

"**Other then the obvious, what's so bad about one Cylon ship?" asked Leon.**

**Verga looked at the Colonel with a look of amazement on his face, then he remembered that even though he was a Warrior, Colonel Leon was a construction specialist, not a combat Warrior.**

"**The Seeker Class are long range reconnaissance ships, they're basically huge scanner platforms with engines. Their sole purpose is to search large areas of space and report back to their command ship." Verga told him. "And that is usually a Baseship."**

"**Do you think it detected our defense grid?" Leon asked.**

**Verga watched the tract of the Cylon ship as it seemed to be moving in a patterned search. It was moving in what appeared to be a sweeping pattern, working its way back and forth across a section of space then moving on to another section. From its movements, Verga was certain that it hadn't discovered their defense grid. **

"**No, I don't think it's found any of the satellites, it seems to be on a standard search of the area." Verga said, still watching the screen with the Cylon ship moving slowly along. **

"**Think we should go to alert level Alpha Commander?" Leon asked.**

**Verga thought about it for a moment, then nodded his head.**

"**As much as I hate to say it Colonel, I don't think we have much choice. Pass the word along to all stations Colonel; we are now at alert level Alpha." Verga said to the Colonel. Then he turned to Lieutenant Dawn, who had snapped out of her momentary shock and was continuously tracking the Cylon intruder.**

"**Lieutenant, you keep a sharp eye on the ship and alert me of any change in its flight pattern, no matter how small or insignificant they might seem, understand?" he said.**

**Lieutenant Dawn's eyes never left the screen as she acknowledged the Commanders orders.**

**With that, Commander Verga left the Command Center and went to his office to retrieve his copy of the alert protocols and duties listings. He knew them by heart, but was not willing to take a chance of missing even the smallest step or detail. Once he had them in hand, he went to the Command Center conference room and waited for his officers to arrive. There were a lot of hard decisions to make in the next few centars, decisions that could decide the fate of mankind!**

**Forty centons later, the entire senior staff of Phantom Base was assembled in the Command Center conference room. Besides Commander Verga, Commanders Bannon and Raylac were present, along with Colonels Leon, Eller, Sachs, Anrdea, Goff, Dyson, and Swires, Majors Hawley and Orozo, and Doctors Grego and Haley. They had been spread out among the various facilities on the base and it took a while for them all to arrive.**

"**Gentlemen and ladies, as you are all already aware; we have upgraded our alert status to level Alpha." Commander Verga began. "For those of you unfamiliar with this, it means we are now on a heightened state of alert and are beginning to upload all ships with fuel, weapons, and other supplies necessary for getting underway."**

"**Are you planning on taking the ships out Commander?" asked Doctor Grego.**

"**Yes doctor, and more. Alert level Alpha is a first stage alert for the evacuation of Phantom Base!" Verga told him.**

**Doctors Grego and Haley sat bolt upright at hearing this while the Warrior officers simply nodded their heads, already knowing what the alert meant.**

"**Are you saying we're leaving here Commander?" Grego said rather abruptly.**

"**That's correct doctor, the Cylons have penetrated our defense grid and are moving in this direction. It's only a matter of time before they locate the asteroid belt and start trying to find a way thru it." Verga told him. "It is my intention that we be gone and this base reduced to space junk before they arrive."**

"**Why are you going to destroy the base Commander?" Doctor Haley said angrily. "We spent yahren building this place and now you want to just blow it up?"**

"**That's right doctor, I am going to blow it up, along with the refinery, the missile plant, the fighter plant, the agro-complex, and everything else we've built here over the past fifteen yahren. I'm not going to leave anything for the Cylons to find." the Commander said with just a touch of aggravation in his voice.**

"**And where do you intend to go Commander? You can't go back to the colonies, the Cylons hold them know." Grego said. **

**That's right doctor, we can't go back to the colonies." Verga said, looking into all their faces. **

"**I have no intention on going anywhere near the colonies. I plan on taking the fleet in the opposite direction, out into deep space, in this sector here." Verga told them as he pointed to a place on the star map that was being projected on the screen behind him.**

"**Deep space! We have no idea what's in that part of the galaxy!" Haley said. "For all we know it might just go on forever!"**

"**On the contrary doctor, I've had Major Orozo making long range surveying scans of the area and they show there are several star systems not all that far away, the nearest is less then a quarter light-yahren from here." Verga said. "I believe that one of those systems is bound to have some sort of inhabitants or at least some sources of food and fuel. In any event, we can't stay here!"**

"**Maybe the Cylons won't come this far out?" Doctor Grego said. "Maybe they'll stop at the asteroid belt and go back?"**

"**True, they may turn around and go back, but I find it highly unlikely!" Verga told him. "Sooner or later they'll come back and they'll find a way to get thru the asteroid belt, and I don't want our people here when that happens and I don't want to leave any sign of our even being here. Face facts gentlemen, we have no other choice but to leave."**

**The two scientists sat quietly, knowing that the Commander was right. There really was no other choice. **

**Seeing that there would be no more opposition to the evacuation, Verga moved on to the more pressing matter of getting everything in order and preparing the base for their departure.**

"**Alright then, you all know what has to be done. You've all been assigned certain duties that you are responsible for and I expect you to carry them out. Use your check lists to verify each step has been taken and that nothing is missed. We can't afford even the slightest mistake being made or it could give the Cylons a clue as to what we had here." Verga told them. **

**He turned to Colonel Leon and said, "I want you to have the defense grid closely monitored Colonel. I want you to keep a continuous record of all incursions into our defense perimeter and work up an electronic map of their tracks. I want to be able to see where they go and what their doing."**

**The Colonel nodded his head, "Yes sir, I'll have that up and running within the centar!" **

"**Excellent." Verga said turning to Commander Bannon. **

"**How long before the fleet is ready to depart?"**

"**I've already issued the orders to fuel, arm and provision all the ships of the fleet. We've been loading the Battlestar landing bays with a maximum number of Vipers, Pit Vipers, and Scorpion fighters, four squadrons of each for the past two yahren, so they're ready to go as far as our strike wings." Bannon said. "But we do have a problem!"**

"**What's that Commander?" Verga asked, knowing the answer already.**

"**Same problem we've had for the last fifteen yahren Commander, we haven't enough trained personnel to operate all the ships of the fleet!" Bannon said. **

"**How short of people are we Commander?" asked Verga.**

"**Approximately a hundred and fifty thousand sir!" Bannon said.**

**A murmur of voices began but was halted by a gesture from Commander Verga.**

"**Is that counting civilians as well as Warriors Commander?" Verga asked.**

"**Yes sir, that's counting every man, woman, and child on the base. At last count, we have fewer than three hundred thousand people on the base. Of those, nearly half are civilians not all of which have gone thru the basic Warrior training we implemented after the fall of the colonies." Bannon began, reading off of an electronic pad he held. **

"**How many of our civilians have gone thru the training Commander?" Verga inquired.**

"**About sixty percent sir, the other forty percent are mostly children, elders and civilians in specialized fields that couldn't be taken away from their duties to go thru the training." Bannon told him. "In all Commander, we only have about ninety thousand trained civilians to help man the fleet."**

"**Good lord Commander, how many people does it take to man a ship?" Doctor Haley said, not believing that there weren't enough people.**

**Bannon turned toward the doctor and told him, "Doctor, a single Battlestar needs a minimum crew of ten thousand fully trained Warriors to operate. Then you need over three thousand people for each of the three Gunstars, seven hundred for each of the thirty seven Destroyers and five hundred each for the seven Frigates. Add to all that the air crews and pilots of the strike wings and that's over one hundred thirty five thousand people just for our warships. We still have to man the fuel tankers, water tankers, agro-ships, livestock ships, industrial ships and freighters. That's another three hundred thousand if we take every ship!"**

"**With the improved command control systems we put in, it should only take half the usual number Commander!" Haley said haughtily as if he had remembered something the Commander hadn't.**

"**With all due respect doctor, the numbers I quoted ARE taking into account the new systems." Bannon told him. He then turned back to Commander Verga.**

"**That brings me to another problem sir. We're extremely short of fighter pilots and crews. Right now we only have about seven thousand trained pilots and less then two thousand "backseaters" for the Pit Vipers and Scorpions." Bannon explained. "We're also way undermanned in the areas of aircraft support and maintenance. As you know, these areas are vital for the operation of our squadrons. At this moment, we only have enough trained personnel to operate about fifteen percent of our squadrons." **

**This bit of information brought another round of whispers. **

**Verga nodded his head and turned to Commander Raylac.**

"**Commander, that will be your job. I want you to set up a training program to furnish us with more pilots, backseaters and air crew personnel. Use a couple of the freighters to build simulators and store extra fighters for training purposes. We need to get those positions filled right away!"**

**Commander Raylac nodded his head and made a few notes on the electronic pad he held.**

**Verga turned back to Bannon.**

"**How many ships can we man with the personnel we have?" he asked.**

"**Well, that depends on what ships we decide to take Commander." Bannon said. "I'm sure you'll want to take the Battlestars and Gunstars, but I'm not sure how many of the other war ships we'll be able to take with us due to the personnel issue."**

**Verga nodded his head thoughtfully, knowing that with the limited number of trained people, it would be impossible to man all the ships of the fleet.**

"**First priority will be the Battlestars, then the Gunstars. After that, we'll take as many of the fuel tankers as we can followed by the water tankers, agro-ships, livestock ships, industry ships and enough of the freighters to carry all the extra parts we might need for repairs. We'll use any remaining personnel to crew the Destroyers and Frigates." Verga told them.**

"**What about command crews?" Bannon asked. "Who do you want commanding all these ships?"**

"**The war ships will be under the command of Warriors. I'd like for you and Colonel Eller to come up with a list of qualified officers and your recommendations for Commanders." Verga told them.**

"**Yes sir." Bannon replied. "And the civilian ships?"**

"**We'll let each of the original ship masters retain they're commands. Those who's ships are left behind will be given positions on other vessels. That may not go over too well with some of them, but that can't be helped." Verga told him.**

**Verga then turned to Colonel Leon. This was the part of this meeting he was most regretting….. ordering this man that had spent so long building this base to make preparations for its destruction!**

"**Colonel Leon, your job is to supervise the placement of the demolition charges for the destruction of the entire base." Verga began. "I know this will be a most difficult task for you, but I can't think of anyone better qualified for this most important job. I hope I can count on you to do this."**

**Leon nodded his head slowly, the pain of what was to come evident on his face.**

"**Not to worry sir, I'll have this place ready to go when the time comes. I've spent a good part of my life here and I'll be damned if I'll let those galmonging Cylons set one foot inside this base." Leon said with great passion.**

**Verga nodded his head, understanding exactly how the man felt.**

"**Alright then people, lets get cracking! Remember to keep me informed of your progress. Keep Delta channel open and listen for updates on the Cylons approach. Once we go to alert level Beta, you'll only have a couple of days to make final preparations before we depart, so do as much as you can now. Any questions?" Verga said.**

**When no questions were forthcoming, he dismissed them to begin what would be the end of Phantom Base.**

**During the next few sectons, a very careful watch was kept on all incursions into the defense perimeter. As each was monitored and identified, it was added to the three dimensional display that Colonel Leon had designed at Commander Verga's request. It was continually updated and showed where each incursion occurred, what path the intruder took, and where they exited the grid. During the first secton, there were only three incursions and only one was identified as Cylon. **

**However, during the next secton, that number tripled as three incursions were identified as Cylon patrol craft. Their movements were closely monitored and plotted, adding to the map of the defense perimeter. Luckily for them, the Cylon reconnaissance ships never varied from their standard search patterns and never came close to the inner defense grid.**

**This unfortunately did not last!**

**Lieutenant Dawn was busy monitoring the defense grid as usual. She had become extremely dedicated to her job, sometimes pulling double shifts, not wanting to leave her post. She felt horrible that she had "froze" when the first Cylon incursion occurred and swore that it would never happen again. She had just made an adjustment to the scanning frequency, when a detection alarm sounded. She began going thru the proper protocols for identifying the new contact when a second alarm sounded, then a third! She watched in horror as detection alarms continued to sound as a large number of contacts moved thru the outer detection grid. This was not a single scout ship; this was a fleet of some kind! Just as the thought went thru her mind, the computer came up with the answer to the who…… it was Cylon!**

"**Scanner control to Commander Verga!" she called on the base intercom system. It was only a few microns before she heard Commander Verga's voice on the secure channel that had been set up for the scanner operators.**

"**Verga here, what do have?" he said tersely. **

"**Commander, a large number of Cylon ships has just crossed the outer detection grid in Alpha sector, grids five, six, and seven. Their trajectory shows them on heading zero four two beta by three zero eight delta." She told him.**

"**Very well, begin a tract on them and continue surveillance of those sectors. I'm on my way, Verga out!"**

**Lieutenant Dawn turned back to her panel and began entering the tracking information for the Cylon ships into the three dimensional tracking model. As the information was correlated into the model, it showed the Cylon ships were heading well away from the inner detection grid. This made her relax somewhat, but having Cylons anywhere within scanning range was uncomfortable.**

**Commander Verga arrived in the Command Center a few centons later along with Colonel Leon. They headed straight for the scanner area to find out the latest information on the Cylons. As they entered, Verga asked for an update on the tracking model. Lieutenant Dawn was already processing it and forwarding the information to the model. Within a few microns the tracking model changed slightly, showing that the Cylons course had not changed since they were first detected. This fact gave Verga a small bit of comfort.**

"**On this course, what's the closest they'll come to the inner grid Colonel?" He asked.**

**Colonel Leon made a few quick calculations on the computer.**

"**Looks like they'll pass no closer then twenty two billion kilometrons from the inner grid, well outside their scanner range." He said.**

**Verga nodded his head slowly, never taking his eyes from the tracking model. Something didn't seem right, but he couldn't quite figure it out.**

"**Lieutenant, what types of ships did the war book identify those as?" Verga asked.**

**Dawn punched up the information and read it off to him, "The war book identified them as four Diablo class battle cruisers and twelve Seeker class scout ships."**

**Verga nodded his head again, finally figuring out what was wrong with the picture before him. **

**There was no Baseship!**

**Cylon reconnaissance fleets always were built around a Baseship. The question he had to answer was where was the Baseship?**

"**Lieutenant, have there been any other contacts in the area of grids five, six, or seven? Anything that might have been a ship heading in another direction?" Verga asked.**

**Dawn looked back at the initial contact readouts and at first didn't see anything unusual, but then she noticed a large radiation spike had occurred just after the Cylon ships had crossed the detection grid, causing a "blackout" of the scanner satellites for about four microns.**

"**This is the only anomaly in the readings sir." She said pointing out the glitch in the readings. **

**Verga looked at the readout, thinking it strange that there was a spike in the radiation levels at that particular time. Why would the radiation level jump so dramatically just after they crossed the grid, but the readings were normal before they crossed and after?**

**Unless they were hiding something! **

"**Colonel, how far could a Baseship, moving at top speed travel in four microns?" the Commander asked.**

**Colonel Leon ran a few sets of numbers thru the computer again and came up with an answer.**

"**At top speed, a Baseship would be able to travel about one million kilometrons in four microns, give or take a hundred thousand. Why?" the Colonel responded.**

"**Because Colonel, I believe that radiation spike was deliberately put out to mask a Baseship slipping thru our detection net." Verga told him. "I think they detected the satellite net and found a way to slip their command ship thru undetected."**

**Colonel Leon nodded his head, agreeing with the Commanders reasoning. **

"**If they did detect our satellites and found a way to get their Baseship thru without being detected, where do you think it went?" Leon asked.**

**Verga turned back to the tracking model and watched as the small fleet of Cylon ships continued along the same path they had followed since passing thru the grid. He was sure that the Baseship had crossed thru their warning net and was somewhere between the two nets, the question was where!**

"**Colonel, say that the Baseship did come thru that gap during the radiation spike. At top speed, how far could it have traveled by now?" Verga asked.**

**Leon began working the computer board again, entering the appropriate information. After a few moments, a red sphere appeared in the model at the point of the radiation spike.**

"**That's about the general area it should be in Commander." He said.**

"**Alright then, let's see if we can find it." Verga said as he walked over to Lieutenant Dawn's station.**

"**Lieutenant, begin a concentrated scan of the area Colonel Leon has indicated. Use every satellite you need to cover that area." He ordered.**

**The Lieutenant began shifting the satellites in the general vicinity to scan the area Colonel Leon's calculations had determined was where the Baseship would be. It took only a few moments before she located it.**

"**Commander, I found it! Alpha sector, grid eleven. It's on a direct heading for the asteroid belt. I estimate it will reach the inner detection grid in just under two sectons." Dawn said.**

**Verga and Leon exchanged looks. Their time had just run out!**

**Verga walked over to the communications station and flipped the base com system on. He was about to give the one order he never wanted to give.**

"**Attention all hands, Attention! This is Commander Verga speaking. We have just had another detection grid alarm in the Alpha sector. A Cylon Baseship along with its reconnaissance group has crossed thru our detection net and is at this time heading toward Phantom Base. Because of this, I am now putting the base on alert level Delta. All personnel are at this time to report to your assigned evacuation stations and make ready to depart the base within the next secton." **

**Verga paused for a moment to let this sink in. He knew this was going to be hard on his people, especially the civilians. Some of them had been here for nearly a score of yahren. **

"**You are to transfer all your personal effects to your assigned ship, where you will be assigned quarters and shown your duty stations." Verga continued. "With your cooperation, we can make this happen with the least amount of trouble. Verga out!"**

**He replaced the headset he had donned to its hook and turned the com system off. He turned around just as Doctors Grego and Haley entered the room. Both men had concerned looks on their faces.**

"**Gentlemen, how are things progressing in your areas?" Verga asked.**

"**My lab's been packed up and is ready for transfer to Battlestar three. I'm just waiting for the transportation crews to begin loading." Doctor Grego said.**

**Verga nodded his approval and glanced at Doctor Haley.**

"**And what of your area Doctor, are you ready for transport yet?" Verga asked.**

**Haley dropped his eyes and shook his head. "No, not yet. I have some very delicate experiments in progress and I can't stop them until there complete. If I do, sectars of work will be lost."**

**Verga looked at the man as if he were some kind of idiot. **

"**Doctor, you do realize that we are out of time here, the Cylons are on their way." Verga said.**

"**Yes Commander, I do realize this, but I've been working on this project for twenty yahren now and I've just begun the final stage of testing. I can't stop now without ruining everything!" Haley said. "I have to continue with the tests."**

"**What is it that you're working on that could be so important?" Verga asked, thinking the man was a bit of a zealot. **

"**I've been developing a technology that could very well win the war for us!" Haley said excitedly. "I've found a way to send out ultra high frequency energy pulses that have a detrimental effect on Cylon circuitry. It basically scrambles the electronic signals of the Cylons computerized "brain". I've found that when I expose Cylon components to these frequencies, what I call "micro-wavelons", they cause a cascading effect thru the entire component."**

"**I see, so what "components" have you been testing this technology of yours on Doctor?" Verga asked.**

"**When I came here, I had several deactivated Cylons packed up and shipped here so I could continue my work on the micro-wavelons. I've kept them stored away for the past eighteen yahren, until I was ready to test the micro-wavelons on fully functional Cylons. That time has come now Commander. I need time to finish my tests!" Haley told him.**

"**How long will it take to finish these tests Doctor?" he asked.**

**I'm in the final stages now, I am going to activate the last three Cylons tomorrow and test the micro-wavelon generator on them. If that test is successful, I should be able to develop a weapon delivery system within a few sectars." Haley told the Commander. "All I need is a few more days to complete my experiments and correlate all the data. Please Commander; the fate of our people could be at stake here."**

**Verga stared at the Doctor for several microns without saying anything. Then he turned to Colonel Leon and asked him how long it would be before they would be ready to load Doctor Haley's equipment aboard Battlestar four.**

"**It will be at least two days, maybe three before they can get to it. There are a number of other labs and equipment rooms that have to be loaded first because they have to move their equipment thru Doctor Haley's area." Leon said.**

**Verga nodded and turned back to the Doctor.**

"**Alright doctor, you have three days to finish your experiments. After that, anything that's not packed and ready to move gets left behind, is that understood?" Verga said sternly.**

"**Yes Commander, I understand. I'll have my assistant's start packing up my lab immediately. The main lad shouldn't take too long since I hardly use it anymore." Haley said.**

"**That brings up a few other questions Doctor." Verga began, staring hard at the scientist. "Just where have you been storing these deactivated Cylons and conducting these tests? And what sort of security measures have you been applying to this project? And under whose authority have you been conducting these experiments? Certainly not mine since this is the first I've heard of it."**

**The doctor looked as if he had just been struck in the face, the shock of being questioned like this.**

"**I don't see where that is any concern of yours Commander, this is a private project that I've been working on since before I even came to this base!" Haley said defensively.**

**Commander Verga would not have anyone talk to him like that! Not in his command post. He stepped up to the doctor, so close that their noses were nearly touching and said in a very loud, yet controlled tone. **

"**Doctor Haley, everything that happens on this base is my concern! And there are no "Private Projects" on this base. If you want to work on this project, fine! But you had damn well better clear it with me before hand or I'll throw your ass in the brig. Now you're going to answer my questions and you're going to tell me where it is you've been doing these little experiments. You'll also turn over all your research materials to Colonel Leon so he can review whatever it is you've been doing. Am I making myself clear to you Doctor?"**

**Haley was shaking with anger. He could not believe that this "Warrior" had the gall to speak to him like that. He wanted to say something, but his better judgment stopped him. Instead he took a deep breath and said in the calmest voice he could muster. **

"**I meant no disrespect Commander, but you have to realize that what I'm working on, if proven successful, would be of far greater value and importance to our people then all the Battlestars that have ever been built. If this works, it will end this damn war!" Haley said, his voice rising with his anger.**

**Verga lowered his eyes and shook his head slightly, he just wasn't getting thru to this man. It was as he had always known…… The most highly educated people could also be the dumbest!**

"**Doctor Haley, I don't care if your project works or not at this moment. What I am concerned with is that you've brought Cylon technology to this base without anyone's knowledge or permission. There are certain safety and security precautions that must be taken before any kind of work can be done on Cylon technology and I'm willing to bet that you didn't follow any of them, did you Doctor?" Verga said, still right in the scientists face.**

"**What safety and security precautions? The things were deactivated!" Haley challenged. "If you're talking about their weapons, those were taken away before they were ever sent to the institute on Caprica!"**

**Verga turned away from the doctor and took a few steps away from him with his hands clutched behind his back. He then turned back to face the scientist, who was standing there with a slight smile on his face, thinking he had made the Commander eat his words.**

**That smug look was about to be wiped from the doctors face however.**

"**Did you disconnect the homing transmitter and internal communications nodes before you reactivated those Cylons doctor?" Verga asked.**

**The doctor's face went ashen. It was obvious from his expression that he had not.**

"**Did you even know about them doctor?" Verga asked.**

**Haley still said nothing, he just stood there staring at the Commander with a look of total confusion. **

"**I'm not familiar with these items either Commander." Colonel Leon said.**

**Verga turned away from the stupefied scientist and looked at the Colonel.**

"**It's something we discovered about forty yahren ago. The Cylons started putting homing devices into their Centurions as well as a set of communications nodes. These made it possible for them to communicate with each other without the need of any kind of external com sets. It also made it possible for them to locate missing units so that they could be retrieved and repaired." He told the Colonel. Then he turned back to Haley, who had recovered somewhat and was listening to the Commanders explanation.**

"**When did you first start experimenting with the Cylon components?" Verga asked. **

"**About two sectars ago, I've run several sets of tests on the components since then. Why?" Haley asked sullenly. **

**Verga and Leon exchanged glances, each realizing the truth of the situation.**

"**Doctor, I'm afraid you'll have to forgo any more testing." Verga said calmly.**

"**Stop testing, why Commander? I am so close to finishing." Haley said, almost pleading.**

"**Because Doctor, I believe the Cylons that are coming this way are doing so because they have been following a homing signal from one of your experimental Cylons." Verga told him.**

"**That's not possible! How could they pick up this "homing signal" thru the asteroid belt?" Haley asked.**

"**I don't know for sure, but we started picking them up on the detection grid not long after you started conducting your tests." Verga said. "I'll bet that every time you ran one of your tests, you activated the homing signal."**

"**But why did it take them so long to find us?" Haley asked.**

"**I think that the Cylons would start searching the area for the source and before they could get a lock on it, you would shut down your experiments." Verga told him. **

**Haley was beside himself. Could it be that it was his fault that the Cylons had found them? The evidence pointed right to him. How could he have been so careless? If his experiments were the reason the Cylons had found them, he would have to shut down immediately. He had no choice!**

"**Commander, I believe you might be right. I had no idea this was going on or I would have stopped my tests long ago. What can I do to fix this situation?" Haley asked.**

"**I'm afraid doctor that there's nothing that can be done. The Cylons are heading this way and I'm quite certain they found our detection grid since they went to such great lengths to hide their Baseships crossing it." Verga said. "They know someone or something is out here and they'll search this entire quadrant until they find out who. All we can do is be long gone from here and make sure there is nothing for them to find once they get here."**

**Verga turned to Colonel Leon, who had been very quiet during their conversation. **

"**Colonel, I'd like for you to assist the doctor in dismantling and disposing of his equipment and the Cylons he's been using in these experiments."**

**Verga glanced at the doctor, seeing him sink into a pit of despair as he realized what his work had done.**

"**See if you can save at least one of the Cylons and remove the homing device from it. Maybe the doctor is on to something we can use." Verga added.**

**Haley met the Commanders eyes and smiled slightly, silently thanking him for not throwing all the blame on him that he could. Leon looked at the doctor with an expression of both anger and disappointment and replied to the Commanders order with a somewhat terse "Yes sir!". **

**Colonel Leon and Doctor Haley left the command center to begin disposing of his unauthorized experiments just as Commander Bannon and Colonel Eller entered the room. They approached Verga and handed him an electronic pad.**

"**Here's the list of command crew recommendations you asked for Commander." Bannon said. "I think you'll find we have just enough qualified people to operate most of our major units and with a bit of luck and hard work, we should be able to train most of the civilians to pick up the slack. We'll still be short of pilots and flight crews however!"**

**Verga looked over the list and was somewhat surprised by what he saw.**

"**Tell me Commander, why do you have yourself and Colonel Eller still commanding your old ships? I expected the two of you to take Battlestar commands." **

**Bannon and Eller exchanged glances, then Bannon began to explain.**

"**Well Commander, we thought about that for awhile, but we both agreed that it was important to have at least one experienced Gunstar Commander and one experienced Destroyer Commander operating those units. With you and Raylac taking two of the Battlestars and Sachs, Andrea, and Goff taking three more, we'd have no experienced Gunstar commanders. The same goes for the Destroyers, we need to have at least one experienced Commander to guide them."**

**Verga looked at the two men skeptically, he knew all too well that Bannon didn't want to command a Battlestar having made that known many yahren ago. He also knew Colonel Eller wouldn't want to leave the "family business" and trade in his Destroyer for a Battlestar.**

"**I see, are you both sure you wouldn't like to ….. "reconsider" these recommendations? Perhaps make a change or two?" Verga said sarcastically.**

**Bannon smiled at his friend and shook his head.**

"**No Commander, I think we'll stand by them as is. It's our belief that these are the best people for the positions in question."**

"**Very well Commander, I'll approve this list and let you hand out the assignments as you see fit. I'll want to meet with all ship commanders and the civilian ship masters tomorrow so we can go over the plan for departure." Verga said.**

"**Have you set a date of departure yet Commander?" asked Eller.**

"**It's my intention to have the fleet get underway in six days. That should give us at least a full secton before the Cylons reach the asteroid field. That should also give us plenty of time to get away from here before we atomize the base. With all the Tylium in these asteroids, we'll want to be as far away as possible before we set the charges off."**

"**I can't argue with that Commander!" Bannon said with his usual jovial air.**

**That being said, Bannon and Eller left to take care of their assignment.**

**Work at Phantom base continued as one ship after another was loaded with supplies and fuel. Everything that would be of use was being loaded; nothing would be left behind if at all possible. Then, after five days of around the chronometer activity, the last of the ships was finally loaded. All one thousand twenty three ships of the fleet were ready to begin the journey into the great unknown.**

**In the Command Center of Phantom Base, Commander Verga was going over his check list one last time. He had already gone over it a dozen times, but he was determined not to miss a single item, and so he ran thru it one more time. As he began his latest check, Colonel Leon walked into his office, a look of amusement on his face.**

"**I'll give you one thing Commander, you are thorough!" **

**Verga looked up at his friend and laughed.**

"**I do tend to over do it a bit at times I guess." Verga said. "I just don't want to leave anything to chance."**

"**I know what you mean; I've gone over every centimetron of this base over the past two days double and triple checking all the demolition charges." Leon said. "I know their all set and ready to go, but still ……"**

**Verga just nodded his head, knowing the feeling all too well. **

**He stood up from his chair and walked over to the large glass window that looked out over the entire Command Center. The place was almost empty, having been stripped of nearly every piece of usable equipment. The only station still in operation was the detection grid monitoring station, where Lieutenant Dawn was keeping her vigil over the scanners. The three dimensional map of the detection grid glowed brightly as the young Warrior continued to update it. Verga stared at it for several moments, taking note of the positions of the Cylon Baseship and its escorts, that had rejoined it several days after it slipped thru the outer grid. Now the fleet of seventeen ships was on course for the asteroid belt. **

**Leon stepped up next to the Commander and followed his gaze.**

"**They'll pass thru the inner grid in less then a centar." Leon said softly.**

**Verga nodded his head slowly. **

"**We'll be on our way by then. I just heard from Bannon a few centons ago; he said that all ships are ready and standing by."**

"**Then I guess the only thing left for us to do is set the detonator timers and get out of here." Leon said.**

"**Yeah, I guess so." Verga said dryly as he turned away from the window and reached for the com unit on his desk. With the press of a button, he activated the base wide com system and began to speak.**

"**Attention on the base! Attention! This is Commander Verga. At this time I am ordering all personnel to secure your stations and make your way to the aerodrome. All shuttles will depart in exactly fifty centons. Anyone not on those shuttles will be left behind. I repeat, all shuttles will depart in fifty centons. Secure your stations and make your way to the aerodrome now. I'll see you there! Verga out!"**

**The Commander took the com set from his head and, out of habit, replaced it on the small hook. This made Leon smile. Even thou the base was being abandoned and would soon be nothing but space dust, Verga still was the detail oriented Warrior he had always been. With that, the Commander and Colonel left the Command Center for the last time ….. turning out the lights as they left.**

**The last of the shuttles departed the base aerodrome, making their way toward the Battlestar Genesis, one of the six new Battlestars. The ships of the fleet had already fallen into position and were standing by for the signal to move out. The last of the shuttles to land was the one carrying Commander Verga and Colonel Leon as well as the rest of those personnel that had been manning the Command Center. Verga and Leon made their way to the bridge of the giant ship where Major Verner, the newly promoted operations officer was in command. Upon seeing the Commander's arrival on the bridge, he immediately called all hands to attention.**

**Verga looked around at all the people manning the bridge. Many of the faces he saw were very well known to him….. Captain Barb at the communications console, Captain Jax operating the ships main scanning station, and Major Retana, the new strike leader of the Genesis. There were also a great many new faces among the crew, most of them very young. Well, Verga was sure there would be plenty of time to get to know them after they departed.**

**Verga and Leon made their way up the command dais and took their places. Verga stared down at his crew and told them to resume their stations. Then he turned to Major Verner and said, "I'll take over Major. Is everything ready for departure?"**

**The young man, who had been a junior bridge officer when they had arrived at Phantom Base, had worked hard learning the ins and outs of capital ship operations and battle fleet tactics and now was third in command of the flagship of the new Colonial Fleet. Verner gave the Commander an update of the fleet's status and then assumed his station at the operations console there on the command dais.**

**Verga walked over to the command station and put on his headset. Then he opened up the fleet wide com system and made his announcement.**

"**May I have your attention please, this is Commander Verga. The time has come for us leave Phantom Base and begin the search for a new home. I know this will be very difficult for many of you, especially the children since this base is the only home they've ever known, but this can't be helped. We must go forth from this place and seek out a new life. It will be difficult, but with the blessings of the Lords of Kobol, we will persevere and prosper."**

**Verga looked once more at the faces of his crew. He could see the uncertainty in their faces about what they were about to do, but he could also see the eagerness to go forth into the unknown and seek out this new life of which he spoke. He imagined the same looks on the faces of all the people of the fleet as looking the same way. Or so he hoped! The Commander continued.**

"**I can't tell you how long this journey will take, nor can I say with any certainty what we'll find beyond the asteroid field. All I can promise you is that if we don't leave here, we will not survive."**

**He paused for a moment to let this sink in.**

"**May the Lords of Kobol watch over and protect us all. Verga out!"**

**That being done, Verga switched over to the fleet com frequency and spoke to the senior officers of the fleet.**

"**Verga to all units, stand by to move out!"**

**Verga turned to where Colonel Leon was working. The Colonel had spent several sectons fitting a control panel, identical to the one the controlled the defensive satellite grid in the asteroid field, on the bridge of the Genesis. He would now use this panel to control the grid and "open the back door" to Phantom base by which they would depart. Leon's eyes met the Commanders and he nodded his head, indicating that all was in readiness. **

"**Colonel Leon, would you be so kind as to open the "gateway" please. Verga asked.**

"**Yes sir!" Leon replied, "Gateway sequence has been initiated."**

**All eyes turned toward the main viewer as the asteroids before them began to shift as if by magic. After only a few centons, the "gateway" was fully formed.**

**Even after all these yahren, the sight of the "gateway" forming still amazed Verga. The Commander switched on the fleet wide command frequency and gave the order that all those present had been waiting for.**

"**Verga to all ships, prepare to move out. Commander Bannon, you'll take the point in the Phoenix. All other units will follow in order as per the plan of departure. Let the journey begin!"**

**With the word given, The Gunstar Phoenix moved out ahead of the fleet, followed on all flanks by four of the Destroyers of Commander Eller's squadron. Next came the Battlestar Alexandria, under the command of Commander Goff. The name was chosen by Goff because in the ancient language of her people, she being a Libran, Alexandria meant "man's defender". The Alexandria was followed by the Alphosina under the command of Commander Andrea, whose name meant "eager for battle" in ancient Aquarian. These two behemoths were escorted by four Destroyers each as well.**

**The next group of ships to head for the "gateway" was a mix of freighters, agro ships, livestock ships, transports, industrial ships and water tankers surrounded by a group of six Destroyers. Next was the Gunstar Hyperion under Colonel Cada's command, followed by the Battlestars Revenge and Victory under the command of Commanders Raylac and Hawley respectively. These were surrounded by a group of ten Destroyers. More freighters, agro ships, livestock ships, transports, mineral ships and water tankers followed them along with six more Destroyers. **

**The last group of ships to move into the "gateway" was the fuel tankers lead by the Gunstar Titan under the command of Colonel Gellis, and the Destroyer Guardian under command of Commander Eller. The fuel tankers were the last to leave so if there were any problems that might set off an accidental explosion, most of the fleet would be far enough away to escape damage. Bringing up the rear of the fleet were the Battlestars Genesis and Ekdikesis, whose name came from the old Scorpion language meaning "vindicate, retaliate, and punish", and was under the command of Commander Sachs. These were escorted by the seven frigates of Colonel Orozo's group.**

**As the Genesis made its way to the mouth of the "gateway", Commander Verga stared at the monitor at his command station which was focused on the steadily receding base. Colonel Leon glanced up from his console to see the Commander watching the screen. He knew all too well what the Commander felt. **

**The Genesis made its way thru the "gateway", advancing slowly in the tight confines of the "tunnel" made thru the asteroid field by the electromagnetic generators that were the backbone of the "gateway". Just before the Genesis cleared the entrance of the "gateway", Verga received a message from Commander Bannon aboard the Phoenix.**

"**Phoenix to Genesis, we've cleared the "gateway" and are heading into open space. We will proceed on course and begin our initial reconnaissance of the area. We'll keep you advised of our progress. Phoenix out!"**

**When the Genesis was well within the "gateway", Verga turned to Colonel Leon and told him to start closing the "gateway". Leon nodded and began inputting the commands on his console. As the Genesis continued forward, the "gateway" began to close down behind it. This continued until at last the mighty Battlestar immerged into the vastness of open space for the first time. **

**Verga looked out on what he had always called the most beautiful site ever created and sighed. It was at that moment that he realized that it had been over fifteen yahren since he had been outside the confines of Phantom Base. He continued to stare out at the stars as he was joined by Colonel Leon.**

"**Commander, the "gateway" is almost finished closing. When would you like to set the timers of the demolition charges?" he asked.**

"**How far out are those Cylon ships from the asteroid field Colonel?" Verga asked, never taking his eyes off the stars.**

"**The last scans we took before we left indicated that the Cylons will reach the asteroid field in approximately five days." Leon told the Commander. "We estimate it'll take them six days to fight their way thru the asteroid field with all the defensive satellites and all."**

**Verga nodded his head slowly, contemplating this information. Then he asked a surprising question.**

"**How long would it take them to get thru if the defensive satellites were deactivated?"**

**Colonel Leon looked at his commanding officer, confused by the question.**

"**I'm not sure sir, two or three days I'd guess. Why do you ask?"**

"**Colonel, I want you to deactivate the defensive satellites." Verga said, still staring out at the stars. **

**Now Leon was really confused. Why would the Commander want to deactivate the defensive satellites? Doing that would give the Cylons an almost effortless path thru the asteroid field. **

"**Can I ask why you want to do this Commander?" Leon asked, not wanting to sound as if he was being defiant or was refusing to obey the order.**

**Verga turned to face the Colonel for the first time since he had walk up and began to explain.**

"**If the Cylons reach the asteroid field and encounter our defensive satellites, they will undoubtedly send a message back to Cylon for reinforcements and hold off until they arrive. They will also spend more time searching the asteroid field for evidence of our presence here. We can't afford that Colonel. We need them to get to the heart of the base without too much difficulty so we can destroy them along with the base. That's why I want you to deactivate the defensive satellites and set the demolition charges to proximity detonations. I want those mechanized nightmares right in the middle of the base when everything goes."**

**Colonel Leon had to agree. If the Cylons had half a chance to alert their home world about the location of Phantom Base, they may realize that the base was only recently abandoned and begin sending battle fleets after them. They had to destroy this reconnaissance fleet swiftly and completely. The only way to do this was to let them enter the base, draw them in and then set off the fireworks.**

**Leon nodded his understanding and went back to his console to deactivate the defensive satellites and set the demolition charges to detonate once the Cylon fleet had arrived at the base. It only took a few centons to power down the satellites and set the charges accordingly. He also set up a link that would allow them to monitor the progress of the Cylon ships as they made their way thru the asteroid field and into the base. Once the Cylons reached the base, they would actually be able to watch as the demolition charges reduced the base and the Cylons to atoms. This being done, all that was left was to get as far away as possible and wait.**

**The newly promoted Captain Dawn sat at her station on the bridge of the Genesis monitoring the advance of the Cylon fleet. Just as Colonel Leon had predicted, it took them less then a secton to reach the asteroid field and with the defensive satellites shut down, only two days to blast a path thru it, though it did cost them two of their "Seeker" class scout ships as they were crushed trying to navigate the asteroid field. With the Cylon fleet now inside the base perimeter, Dawn switched over from the simple scanning equipment that could only keep track of their position to the visual monitoring system that would send a video signal to the Genesis. Commander Verga, Colonel Leon, and Major Verner gathered around her station as the screen filled with the image of over a dozen Cylon ships moving slowly toward the main complex. A slight shiver ran down Verga's spine as he watched the Cylon fleet move steadily closer to what only days ago had been their home. Glancing at the other officers, he knew they were feeling the same sensations of dread.**

"**How long before the demolition charges go off Colonel?" Verga asked, breaking the almost tomb like silence that had fallen over the group. **

"**They have a proximity detectors attached to them that I set to begin a twenty centon countdown as soon as the Baseship came within one hundred thousand metrons of the main complex. I'd say their just about in range now." **

**In the dark, silent Command Center of the now abandoned base, a single console came to life. On the screen, a timer began a silent countdown.**

**Aboard the Baseship, the gold command centurion stood motionless as it "watched" the readings coming in from the ten remaining scout ships of its fleet. As a command centurion, it was given a second electronic "brain", thus giving it more program capacity for the wider variety of duties it was given, such as commanding a reconnaissance fleet. If it was capable of emotions, it would very likely be going thru a number of them at that very moment….. excitement, curiosity, uncertainty, and probably even …… fear! **

**The reconnaissance fleet that was under its command was given the task of seeking out any remaining outposts of the life form called "human" and report back to the central command for the sector in the new outer capital that had been established on one of the former home worlds of the human species. They had found nothing of significance until a little over two sectars ago, when they picked up a faint signal from what appeared to be a homing beacon of the type installed in a centurion. The command centurion could not understand how this could be since theirs was the first Cylon vessels reported to have ever entered this sector of space. With what could almost be called "curiosity", the command Cylon ordered its scouts to begin a patterned search of the quadrant. But then the signals suddenly stopped. This "confused" the command centurion. After a day or so, the signal resumed, but just like before, it stopped after a short period. The command centurion could not figure out what would cause this to happen. It did know that they were getting closer to the source of the signal. After a few more of these sessions, they had finally locked onto the location of the signal and headed directly for it. **

**During their sweeps of the area, they discovered something very interesting…… a network of extremely small, sophisticated satellites. They had never come across anything even close to this before and made every effort to scan them without disturbing them, not knowing if they were mines or not. After analyzing the satellites and determining they were not a hazard, but part of a enormous detection net, they knew they had found some kind of hidden civilization, perhaps even human. They had also figured out a way to "blind" these satellites for a short time by sending out a large burst of radiation. They had done this when they discovered a second net of satellites. The radiation burst had knocked the signal out long enough for the Baseship to pass thru the net without being scanned. **

**Now that they had found a way to circumvent the detection net of this unknown civilization, they moved toward the source of the homing signal at top speed. After nearly two sectons, they came upon a gigantic asteroid field that stretched far beyond their scanner range in all directions. The signal had stopped again and did not return, but they had pinpointed it as being somewhere either inside or beyond the asteroid field, though they could not say for sure since their scanners could not penetrate more then a thousand metrons or so. The only way to get thru to where the signal originated from was to blast a path thru the asteroids it seemed, so the command centurion gave the order for the Battle Cruisers to proceed ahead of the Baseship and clear a path thru the asteroids. This was a slow and time consuming process, but there was no other way. **

**Things started off poorly at first, as the ever shifting asteroids would drift into the path the Cruisers had just cleared. It proved disastrous for two of the smaller scout ships when they were crushed by large asteroids drifting into them. Finally, after two days of continuous fire, they made their way to the relatively open area beyond the asteroids. Once they had broke into the clear, the Cylon scanners immediately picked up a large number of structures built on many of the large asteroids that were in this area. Initial scans of the area showed no signs of human life forms, though from the types of structures and the materials used, it was apparent that this place was built by humans from the Colonies. **

**The command centurion ordered the scout ships to spread out and perform detailed scans of the facility. It wanted to know if this base had been there for a long time or just recently abandoned. As the scout ships began spreading out, the Baseship and its Cruisers made their way toward what appeared to be the main complex. The command centurion ordered fighters launched to provide protection from possible attack from any hidden human forces and to land on the facility and conduct a search of the structures.**

**The Baseship stopped just a few hundred metrons away from what appeared to be the command center of the base. The command centurion would hold its position there until the base was deemed secured, then it would send down specially programmed Cylon "technicians" to try and extract whatever information they could from the facilities computers. **

**On the surface of the base, the first group of centurions began searching the main complex. They made their way thru dust covered halls and rooms that appeared to have been abandoned for hundreds of yahren. They made there way to what had to be the main control center and found it in the same condition. The squad leader contacted the Baseship to make its initial report.**

"**By your command." It droned in the computerized voice that graced all centurions.**

"**Speak!" came the response from the command centurion in a slightly deeper tone.**

"**We have reached the control center of the facility. It appears to be deserted." the squad leader reported. "There are no signs of any recent occupation."**

**The command centurion added this information to the other reports that had been filtering in and it had concluded that this was a long abandoned base of the Colonies. **

"**By your command" another centurion droned in.**

"**Speak!" the squad leader responded.**

"**I have located an active computer terminal" the centurion reported.**

"**What terminal?" the squad leader asked.**

**The two centurions made their way over to one of the rooms just off the main gallery. Inside they found a large desk with a computer screen on it. The centurions made their way around to the front of the screen where they found some kind of program in operation. The squad leader contacted the Baseship again to report this new find.**

"**By your command!" the centurion droned.**

"**Speak!" came the response from the command centurion.**

"**An active computer terminal has been found with a program running." The squad leader reported.**

"**What type of program?" asked the command centurion.**

"**Unknown. All that is visible is a chronometer." The squad leader responded.**

**A warning light went off deep inside the electronic brain of the command centurion. There was something that didn't sound "right" about this situation.**

"**What is the chronometer doing?" asked the command centurion.**

"**It is counting in reverse of a normal chronometer." **

"**What does the chronometer read now." asked the command centurion, realizing what it was that they had found.**

"**It is just passing one centon now." The squad leader answered, totally oblivious to what was going to happen when the counter read zero.**

**The command centurion realized what it was and ordered the Baseship to make for the area of the asteroid field it had entered from at top speed. It also ordered all mega pulsars to begin firing on that area to open up a path. **

**All this would be for naught however, it was already too late.**

**As the chronometer hit zero, all Hades broke loose on the base. The first thing to blow was the central computer core. It was followed by the Command Center and all the adjacent buildings. The Cylons that had landed on the base never knew what hit them.**

**At the refinery and the two manufacturing plants, the scene was being replayed with some magnificent results.**

**As the demolition charges went off at the refinery, huge columns of flame shot into space thousands of metrons long. These incinerated the centurions that had been searching that area instantly. The solium tanks, though for the most part empty, still were full of vapors from their former contents and when the flames hit, the resulting explosions tore through the asteroid where they were built, setting everything aflame. The heat from the flames was so intense, that the solium in the asteroids caught fire too!**

**The Baseship had just started moving when the first explosions were seen. The main complex where the giant ship had been hovering went up in a massive fireball that engulfed the lower section of the Baseship before it could escape. This caused it to suffer mass power failures throughout the ship. The helm controls would not respond and soon the ship was out of control, its momentum propelling it toward the asteroid field. The centurions inside the ship were thrown all over the ship as it tumbled thru space. The end came soon after as the giant Baseship impacted with the asteroid field at great velocity, ripping the ship and its occupants to shreds.**

**Then as if to add insult to injury, with thousands upon thousands of solium ladened asteroids aflame and more being set off by the micron, the whole mess blew in an explosion so violent, the shock waves would be felt half a light yahren away.**

**Thus came the end of Phantom Base.**

**On the bridge of the Genesis and most of the other capital ships of the fleet, the destruction of the base was watched over a secure video link with scanners set up in advance by Doctor Haley. **

**The entire senior staff had shuttled over to the Genesis to witness the events leading up to the destruction and to make plans for the future, but at that moment, all was silent.**

**After what seemed an eternity, Commander Verga broke the silence.**

"**My friends, I know how each of you must feel. But we must put aside our own feelings for the time being and look toward the future. We must decide what we are to do now that we've lost our home. It is imperative that we locate a planet suitable for our people to colonize and start rebuilding our civilization. There are over a quarter of a million people out there that are depending on us to lead them to safety and a new life. I for one do not want to let them down!"**

"**So, where do you think we should start looking Commander?" asked Colonel Leon.**

**The Commander moved over to his command station and punched in a few codes. A large, three dimensional star chart appeared in the middle of the command area. Verga began to explain his intentions.**

"**As you may remember, I told you all about several star systems not too far from where we are now. I intend to head for the nearest of these and seek out a planet that we can colonize and call home or at the very least resupply the fleet. From the scans we have, there seems to be several planets that may be able to support human life."**

"**And if there are no habitable planets?" asked Doctor Grego.**

"**Then we'll move on to the next system, and the next one after that if necessary. Whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes. We will find a new home for our people. By the Lords of Kobol we will find a new home!"**


	11. The End of Paradise

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter Eleven**

**The End of Paradise**

**In the darkness of space, a great behemoth glides silently thru the endless night. It is the last of its kind known to exist anywhere in the cosmos. The mere size of the ship speaks of awesome power. Its design making the statement, "This is a ship of war!". The hull of this great lady of space showed the many scars of countless battles that she had endured over the centuries. And thou she faced destruction many times; she still remained the strong, proud guardian that she had always been. This was a ship worthy of praise. A ship of legend.**

**This was the Battlestar Galactica!**

**Trailing behind her, like a group of chicks behind their mother, was a long line of ships of various shapes and sizes. Some were quite large while others were not so. There were ships with smooth, sleek lines that bespoke of great speed and luxury sailing alongside ships that at first glance, one would doubt that they could truly be spacecraft at all, looking more like something that had been thrown together using bit's and pieces of other ships. In all, one hundred sixty three ships remained of what was at one time a convoy of two hundred twenty. Numerous battles and mechanical breakdowns due to the age of the vessels or the lack of spare parts had accounted for their shrinking numbers.**

**Aboard this vagabond fleet of assorted vessels, the last of what remained of a very strong, proud, and resilient species known as man had set forth in an attempt to continue as a race. Some twenty four yahren before, the human race was nearly exterminated when their leaders, having been convinced by one of their own, a man by the name of Baltar, that the enemy they had spent the past millennium battling was at last willing to join them in peace. After so much death and destruction, the leaders of the human colonies, known as the "Council of the Twelve", were all too eager to rush to the peace table.**

**This was to be the beginning of the end!**

**The President of the Council of the Twelve, President Adar, under the advice of Baltar, had agreed to take the entire Colonial Fleet to meet with the representatives of the Imperial Cylon Empire and sign a cease fire agreement, thus ending a thousand yahren of war. And so, the President of the Colonies of Man led his race to destruction.**

**The so called "peace conference" was nothing more then a ruse to lure the Colonial Fleet away from their home planets so the Cylons could deal a decisive blow to the humans. Why the fleet was off chasing the false peace, the Baseships of the Cylon fleet were closing in on the unsuspecting Colonies.**

**At the "peace conference" near the old moon named Cimtar, the human fleet came under attack by thousands of Cylon fighters. The humans were caught totally by surprise, all except one man who had never believed the truce talks were genuine. This was Commander Adama. He had staged a general quarters drill just before the attack begun so he would be able to launch his fighters, the sleek Colonial Viper, at a moments notice. This act was perhaps the saving grace that allowed the Galactica to be the only Battlestar to survive the attack.**

**Seeing that the fleet was lost and having learned that the Cylons had sent their fighters in without their Baseships, Adama pulled the Galactica out of the battle and made his way back to the Colonies at top speed.**

**He was too late!**

**Upon his arrival, Adama found the Colonies in flames. Every planet had been attacked with terrifying results. The death toll was in the billions. There were survivors however, but how long could they hold out against the might of the Cylons now that their fleet of Battlestars was all but gone. All hope of survival seemed to fade from the people. **

**But Adama would not give in to defeat. He refused to accept the inevitable. As the Commander of the last Battlestar and the only surviving member of the Council of the Twelve, the fate of the human race fell on his broad shoulders.**

**He was more then equal to the task!**

**Adama had word sent to all the colonies. The people were to set sail in whatever spacecraft they could find and were to then rendezvous with the Galactica which would lead them away to safety. Thus began the quest. A journey that most people believed was a fool's mission. A search for what was widely considered nothing more then a myth, a legend, a fable handed down thru the ages. They would begin the search for the lost thirteenth tribe of Kobol. The tribe that was told to have settled on a far distant planet called ……. Earth!**

**Alone in the darkness of his office, a very tired man sits quietly, staring out at the stars, the only light in the room coming from the computer screen on his desk. The shadows hid the small patches of grey at his temples that had started to intrude on the thick brown hair. The lines in his face told the story of the tremendous burden he had endured over the yahren. Still in all, Commander Apollo had held up quite well since replacing his father, Adama, as Commander of the Galactica and leader of the fleet. As he continued to stare out the port in his office, his fathers old office, he began to speak into a small microphone he held in his left hand as he absently stroked the large octagon shaped medallion he wore at his throat.**

"**Today is the anniversary of not one, but two of the most significant and tragic events in the history of mankind. It was twenty four yahren ago today that the Cylons attacked and destroyed the twelve colonies of man and our entire fleet of Battlestars. With our home worlds in flames and our defenses all but gone, we were forced to abandon them in an effort to save some remnants of our civilization. Thus, those few ships we could find were loaded with as many survivors of the holocaust as was possible."**

**Apollo paused as the memories of that dark time came flooding back into his mind. Shaking his head sadly, he continued.**

"**At that time, my father, Adama, then Commander of the Galactica and the lone survivor of the Council of the Twelve, made the decision to abandon our home worlds and to seek out the fabled thirteenth tribe of Kobol in the hopes that they might be able to aid us in our struggles against the Cylons. As of yet, we have not been able to locate the thirteenth tribe, nor their planet ….. Earth.**

"**The second event, perhaps not as monumental in its scope, has a great deal more personal significance. It was eighteen yahren ago on this day that my father, Commander Adama, died!"**

**Once again the flood of memories overwhelms him and Apollo pauses. He begins to relive the events of that horrific day again in his minds eye. He can see his fathers face on the bridge monitor, the blood from an ugly gash on his forehead bleeding onto his face as wave after wave of Cylon fighters came screaming overhead, laying waste to what was to have been New Caprica City. History repeated itself once more as the members of the Council of the Twelve, by a vote of nine to two (Adama and Sires Tinia voting against) decided that since no contact had been made with the Cylons in over four yahren and their people needed the freedom of a planet to call home, the time had come to stop as one council member, Sire Domra, put it "traipsing about the galaxy and settle down on a nice planet." This was not the first time this argument had been brought up, but it was the first time a majority of the council had voted for ending their search and for settling on a planet. **

**And so, against Adama's wishes, plans were put in motion to locate and begin colonization of the next favorable planet. It took several sectars to locate a planet that filled the needs of the Colonials, but one was finally found, a large planet with several continents and plenty of water and vegetation. It had one large moon and three smaller ones in orbit all in a system with a single yellow star and six other planets, none of which could sustain life. The planet was given the name of New Genesis in the hope that it would give the people a new start on life.**

**Unfortunately, it would not!**

**Work began immediately on the construction of a new city. It was small at first, nothing more then a group of pre-fabricated units all thrown together to house the people working on the new settlement, but after just a few sectars, the new city began to take shape. The public buildings such as life centers and utilities were erected quickly to provide the people with the necessary services to rebuild their lives. Offices for the Council were also among the first to rise up from the large plateau so as to give the government a place to begin the rebuilding of the human civilization. Water treatment plants were built near two large rivers and a desalinization plant was built on the giant salt water sea on one end of an extremely fertile valley where the chief planter, Wade, decided would be the best place to begin planting their food crops. It was a fantastic place for growing just about anything. Every plant they put into the rich, brown soil seemed to thrive. The herders began bringing their livestock down and placed them in a large, green valley with a crystal clear river running thru it. The high, steep walls of the valley and the closed end made a fabulous natural corral for the bovine, bleaters, swine, and poultrions that would feed the people in the future. It was indeed a paradise for those of the farming communities.**

**In the city proper, it was much the same. Things progressed quickly and smoothly. Housing units began popping up in every area of the plateau as every man, woman and child was given a full acreon of land to build their homes on. Plots were assigned according to a lottery held by the council, after the prime plots had already been taken by those with the cubits to insure their claims to certain areas. Adama protested this misuse of the council's authority, but was once again overruled by the majority. Adama refused to accept any lands on the planet, preferring to remain aboard the Galactica, ever vigilant in his belief that the Cylons, thou they had not been seen in nearly five yahren, were still out there, waiting for the right time to strike.**

**Things went on like that for nearly two yahren. The city, which it had been given the name of "New Caprica City", would have its dedication on the ninth anniversary of the holocaust that had brought them to this wondrous place. Everything seemed so perfect; it seemed nothing could ever spoil this perfect ending to what was once a nightmare beyond compare. Even Adama had some small doubts as to if the Cylons were still a threat. He still maintained his quarters aboard the Galactica, but he had been spending more and more time on the surface, dealing with council business, seeing to the new planetary defense systems that were being built, and of course visiting his son Apollo and daughter Athena and their families.**

**Apollo had finally taken the seal with Sheba after four yahren. They continued to raise Boxey and after a short time, had a child of their own, a girl named Bethany, named after Sheba's mother. They took a house near the defense facilities since Apollo, now a Major, was the officer in charge of the project, having turned over command of the Galactica's strike wing to the newly promoted Captain Starbuck.**

**As for Starbuck, he had finally built up the nerve to ask Cassiopeia to take the seal, thou it was rumored that he only did it because Athena had gotten sealed (to Bojay) and was no longer available and Doctor Payne was becoming interested in Cassiopeia. It turned out to be one of the best moves he had ever done. Marriage seemed to bring a kind of stability to the blond "hotshot" and with his new focus; it made him an even better Warrior. Things really got serious for him when he and Cassie had their first child, a boy that with the Commanders blessing, they named Zac.**

**There were a number of other pairings as well. Athena and Bojay had become an item not long after the mission to Gamoray. They sealed within a yahren and had a child two yahren later. Both had continued their Warrior careers, Bojay being promoted to Captain and becoming the squadron leader for the newly formed Gold Spar Squadron and Athena becoming an operations officer after her promotion to Captain.**

**Boomer had moved up to a Captaincy as well and was Red Squadrons commanding officer with his new wife, Captain Dietra commanding the new Green Squadron. Giles and Brie sealed on New Genesis as did Omega and Rigel. Even Jolly had found love, falling for, what else, a cook from the Rising Star named Genevieve.**

**Then it all came crashing down around them again.**

**The day had finally come to dedicate the city and to announce that their journey to escape the Cylons had finally come to an end. Adama didn't want to make this announcement, fearing that the threat of the Cylons was not done with, but even thou he was still the President of the council, Sire Domra, Sire Uri, Sire Montrose and Sire Geller had basically taken over the leadership of the council. He had for some time been losing support from the members of the council who had become tired of what they saw as a never ending journey looking for a planet that only existed in Adama's mind. It was almost assured that when it came time for re-elections, Adama would lose the Presidency, if not his spot on the council all together.**

**And so, here he was, putting on his best "Isn't this just grand" face for the people even thou he had the strongest felling of impending doom he had ever had in his life. It reminded him so much of the feeling he had many yahren ago at Cimtar just before the Cylon attack, when he tried to talk President Adar out of meeting with the Cylons. He began to wonder "Was history about to repeat itself?" Adama wanted to take precautions as he had at Cimtar, placing several squadrons on full alert, but the council had gotten wind of his plans and ordered him to stand down his people. All he was able to do was to have one squadron in the air for a ceremonial flyby for the dedication, and that was given to the least experienced pilots they had, those of White Squadron, by the council. If the Cylons were looking for the perfect time to strike, it would be during the dedication ceremony. **

**And that's just what they did!**

**Apollo remembers the helpless feeling he had as he watched in horror as the Cylon fighters suddenly began to appear on the Galactica's scanners. They had been hidden behind the large moon of the planet along with the Baseship that had launched them. With the coming celebration, the council had ordered all long range patrols cancelled until further notice, so there was no advance warning of their approach. **

**Most of the Galactica's pilots had been given furlon, by the council, to attend the dedication, so they were on the surface, thou Adama had insisted that at least one full squadron be left aboard the Galactica and that all pilots take their Vipers to the surface instead of shuttles. It was this small concession by the council that may have saved them from total annihilation.**

**Apollo wiped a tear from his eye as the thoughts keep flowing into his mind, like a river, threatening to drown him at any time. He didn't want to remember, but he was helpless to resist as the events of that day continued to flash before his eyes.**

**He remembered that he had the watch aboard the Galactica's bridge that day. He had begun standing bridge watches several yahren earlier to give his father and Colonel Tigh some time away from their duties there. He had a knack for it and soon was qualified as a full watch commander. On that day, it would prove invaluable as wave after wave of Cylons came toward them. He immediately sounded the general alarm and ordered the duty squadron, Blue Squadron, to launch and intercept the Cylons. He then contacted the surface and tried to warn them of the impending attack, but the communications station operator was not answering the signal. Apollo finally tried his father's personal com unit, a small communications device with a small camera that Doctor Wilker had developed several yahren before. It was worn on the wrist and was very easy to operate.**

**It took several microns for Adama to answer the signal, microns they may not have had. Apollo remembers the entirely bored look on his fathers face as he answered the signal.**

"**Adama here, what can I do for you Apollo?" he had asked in a voice that said he would rather be anywhere but there at that moment, then the sudden look of concern as the first of the Cylon ships were heard as they made their attacks. Apollo never had time to give his father even a word of warning, as all of a sudden, everything turned to hellfire. Apollo could still see the pictures being sent from his father's com unit, he could here him giving orders to the assembled Warriors to man their ships and engage the attacking Cylons. He could also see and hear the screams of the people as they were being killed! **

**It was at that moment that a large explosion was heard over the com unit and the picture began to gyrate wildly, as if someone had thrown the com unit across the stage where his father had been sitting. When the picture stopped jumping around, all Apollo could see were the bodies of the dead and dying. A wave of panic struck him because he could not tell if his father was still alive. His panic was relived slightly when the picture began moving again and the camera focused on the bloodied face of Adama. Apollo was in near shock as he looked upon his father visage, he knew his father was gravely injured and would need immediate medical attention. Then he heard his father try and speak, a low croaking sound as he was coughing up blood.**

"**Apollo, protect the Galactica at all cost. Don't let them take her!"**

**It was all he heard before the signal went dead.**

**Apollo was frozen with grief. All he could do was stare at the now blank screen. He was brought back to reality by a hand on his shoulder and a loud voice in his ear.**

"**Apollo, I need a status report now!" yelled Colonel Tigh, a look of concern on his face. Apollo gathered his wits and filled the Colonel in on the tactical situation. After turning command of the Galactica over to the Colonel, Apollo made his way to the flight deck and launched. He immediately began to rally his Warriors, those that were able to launch anyway, and began the defense of the Galactica and the city.**

**The battle had lasted for centars, as wave after wave of Cylons seem to appear from behind the moon. Colonel Tigh wanted to take the Galactica and go after the Baseship from which the attack had been launched, but to do that would mean leaving his outnumbered pilots without a place to land and refuel since the facilities on the planet had been destroyed already. The fighting remained fierce and unrelenting until finally, there were no more Cylons anywhere to be found.**

**The victory had been won!**

**But at what price!**

**Apollo landed his Viper on a street not far from the plaza where the dedication ceremony had taken place. The bodies of the unfortunate littered the area; the smell nearly unbearable. Survivors moved among them, checking for signs of life, helping those in need, searching for loved ones. It was a grim sight. **

**Apollo had made his way to where the stage had been, it was now a pile of burnt and twisted wreckage, and began searching for his father. He found him laying face down a short distance from the stage, his legs set at impossible angles, his uniform all but gone, having been burnt away. Apollo was afraid to touch him, afraid that he would confirm his father was gone. But then he heard a sound, the sound of his father breathing. Apollo knelt down beside Adama and looked at his fathers face. It was covered in blood and badly burnt; he was having great difficulty breathing, Apollo knew he would not last long without immediate attention. Then from nowhere, Doctor Salik and Cassiopeia appeared and began treating Adama. Starbuck was there too, leading him away toward a shuttle that had landed only twenty or so metrons away. He never even noticed it. **

**Apollo couldn't remember the trip back to the Galactica or the centars of waiting for word of his father's condition. He barely remembered Athena and Sheba joining him along with Boxey, Starbuck, Boomer and several others. What he did remember was the look on Doctor Salik's face when he came out of the surgical wing. His pale, haggard expression spoke volumes about Adama's condition, and the news was not good.**

**The doctor told them that Adama's injuries were far too severe for him to do anything. He told Apollo and Tigh that Adama wanted to speak to them and so the two men went in, followed by the other members of the family and stood next to the Commanders bed. He looked so shrunken in that bed, his burns having been treated as much as could be. Tigh and Apollo stood at attention as Adama's eyes fluttered open slightly. Then in a voice almost too soft to hear, he spoke to them.**

"**I'm sure the doctor has told you. I know I don't have long, so I will make this quick." He began, trying hard to focus his thoughts. "Tigh, my old friend, for many yahren you and I have served together, fought many battles and won many victories. You are the best friend any man could ever hope to have. It is because of this that I have decided to turn over command of the Galactica to Apollo."**

**Apollo and Tigh exchanged glances of shock at this announcement, but before either could say a word, Adama continued on.**

"**The reason I'm doing this has nothing to do with whether I think you deserve the command or not, I know that you are more then ready for your own command and have been for many yahren, but I have a greater job for you. A job that no one man should have to bare, but you are the only one strong enough to handle it, the job of rebuilding our government, so I confer upon you, Tigh, the office of President of the Twelve Colonies of man. And may the Lords of Kobol protect and guide you my old friend."**

**Tigh stood there speechless as Adama lifted his badly burnt hand and took Tigh's and placed in it the Seal of the President of the Twelve Colonies of man. Tigh stood there and simply stared at the large, gold medallion. It was the symbol of leadership for the twelve tribes on man that had been handed down thru the millennium. He had seen it on a number of occasions when Adama had worn it at one state function or another, but this was the first time he had ever touched it, held it in his hand. He didn't know what to say.**

**Adama gave a slight smile at the sight of his friends face. He knew exactly what he was feeling. Then he turned his eyes on his son. Apollo had stood there silently as his father had given over the office of President to his best friend, shocked that he was to be given command of the Galactica. Adama finally caught Apollo's eye and began to speak again.**

"**Apollo, I've given you command of the Galactica because the burden of rebuilding our government will be a great enough challenge for Tigh to deal with without having the added burden of commanding the Galactica, so to ease the burden on Tigh, you'll have to step up and become the leader I know you are and keep our people safe, what there may be of them. I've always knew this day would come my son and I know that you're ready for this. Protect our people and lead them to safety President Tigh, Commander Apollo."**

**Adama laid his head back on his pillow, exhausted from his exertions. His eyes closed and his breathing became very shallow. Then a look of pure serenity came to his face as he exhaled one last time. The small monitor that had been beeping lightly in time with his heart beat suddenly became a solid tone. **

**Adama was gone!**

**Apollo was still staring out at the stars, the tears now flowing liberally down his cheeks as the memories of that horrific day had come to a merciful end. Even after all those yahren, he still couldn't fight back the tears or the pain of that day. He doubted he ever would.**

**Just then the com unit on his desk chimed. He quickly wiped the tears from his face and after a few deep breaths; he was able to regain his composure enough to answer the call. The screen filled with the face of his first officer, Colonel Boomer. He had a somewhat concerned look on his face.**

"**Sorry to interrupt your …… sleep period Commander, but we've just received a report from one of our patrols. They report that they've found a ship, a ship they think is a Battlestar!**


	12. The Lost Fleet

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter Twelve**

**The Lost Fleet**

**There was perhaps no duty in all the Colonial fleet more boring for a pilot then that of pulling a long range probe. A single patrol of this type could last well over fifty centars during which a person may find nothing more interesting then a small meteorite in all that time! And what was worse was, after one of those marathon patrols, it was almost impossible to stand up straight or walk normally for what seemed like days! But it was the price one paid for being among those few with the skill to become a Colonial Warrior and a Viper pilot.**

**Lieutenant Rader and Ensign Nagy were two of those. Rader had been a pilot for several yahren, but this was his first time leading a long range probe while it was Nagy's first time pulling this duty in the yahren since becoming a Viper pilot. They had had an uneventful patrol so far, finding nothing of any consequence lying in the path of the fleet and very little of interest. During their first few centars of the patrol, they'd conversed on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from the latest scuttlebutt from around the fleet to the finer points of Triad. The last few Centars however had been very quiet as neither man seemed to have anything else to say. **

**Rader kept himself busy scanning the next sector while Nagy supposedly was on a sleep period. Rader had just finished his scan's and was setting up for the next round when he glanced over at his wingmates ship and noticed the canopy light on and his head moving around. He decided to find out what his young partner was up to!**

"**Hey Nag! What are you doin over there? You're supposed to be on sleep period." **

**Nagy's head popped up so fast, he banged it on the back of his seat causing his helmet to be forced down over his eyes. The site of this gave Rader a good laugh. Nagy quickly pushed his helmet back up where it belonged and opened up his com unit.**

"**What do you want?" he asked testily, seeing Rader laughing at him.**

"**I was wondering what you were doing over there, you were suppose to be asleep!" Rader said, still chuckling. **

"**I'm ….. working on something!" Nagy said, sounding like a child that had just been caught with his hand in the mushie jar.**

**Rader knew his young partner was up to something. Nagy's tone of voice and indirect answer was a dead giveaway. He decided to have some fun with him.**

"**So Nag, what is it that has you so engrossed that you're forgoing your sleep period and almost knocking yourself out over?"**

**Nagy fumed a bit at his wingmate. He hated the name "Nag" and Rader knew it, but to his credit, Nagy's voice showed no sign of irritation when he answered back.**

"**I'm making a few adjustments to my scanners."**

**Rader understood why Nagy jumped the way he did now.**

"**Nag's, you know you're not suppose to be foolin around with the scanner main frame! The Colonel will have your ass if he finds out you've been messin with it." Rader said somewhat irritated. He knew his young partner was genius when it came to all that electronic felgercarb such as scanners and laser generators, but he also knew how the Colonel frowned of pilots messing around with their Vipers systems. If Nagy got caught screwing around with his scanners, it was a sure bet that the Colonel would call Nagy out on the carpet, and most likely him too since he was the senior officer and the probe leader. Rader really didn't want to go thru an ass chewing because of Nagy.**

"**Look Nag, I know you're into all that electronic felgercarb and all, but I really think it's a bad idea for you to be messin with your scanners while were on a mission. What if you botch them up and can't get em put back together? The Colonel will tear your head off …… and mine too!" Rader told him.**

"**Oh come on Rader, you know I won't screw anything up. I know more about these things then any of those maintenance techs aboard the Galactica!" Nagy replied somewhat defensively. **

"**Yes, I know, you know your stuff when it comes to electronics, but you're not a tech, you're a pilot, and pilots don't mess with the scanners! So knock it off before you get us both put in hack!" Rader said with a bit more anger in his voice then he should have. Then a bit milder he asked, "So what exactly are you trying to accomplish with all these "adjustments" anyway?"**

"**Well, if you must know, I'm installing some new hardware and programs that will boost the scanners range and resolution by at least a hundred percent." Nagy said sarcastically. **

"**A hundred percent! You're kidding me! How in Sagen can you do that?" Rader asked skeptically. **

**Nagy smiled at the tone of Rader's voice. He knew that he had peaked his interest.**

"**That's right, a hundred percent! Maybe more if I can get this secondary power coupling connected. If I'm right about this set up, I might be able to boost this Vipers scanner range and efficiency enough to equal the Galactica's scanners." Nagy said proudly. "I've been running test in the electronics lab in my off time and I've finally perfected all the programs and components. All I need now are a few successful field tests and I can make a full presentation to the command staff."**

"**And so you decided to use this patrol to test out all your equipment and theories, right!" Rader asked.**

"**Well, I knew I'd have plenty of time to get everything installed and run a few test scans before we returned to the Galactica." Nagy said. "I figured I'd be able to compare the scan's you're taking to the one's I'd take with the my new system and I'd be able to show the Commander and the Colonel what this new system can do." **

"**Why are you so hot after this project Nag's? You trying for a transfer out of Blue Squadron?" Rader asked.**

"**As a matter of fact, I am! You may not believe me, but I never really wanted to be a Viper pilot. I wanted to be an electronics technician." Nagy told him.**

"**What stopped you?"**

"**When I did my testing for the academy, they said that even thou I showed a great deal of talent in the electronics field, I showed an equal aptitude for becoming a Viper pilot, and since there was more of a need for pilots then techs, I was sent to flight school. "The needs of the service must be meet first before the wants of the individual" the recruiter told me."**

**Rader nodded his head, he'd heard the same thing many times.**

"**So how long before you have that felgercarb hooked up and ready to go?" He asked curiously. **

"**I'm almost finished now; I just have to get this secondary power coupling connected and I can start." Nagy said as he struggled with the small cable.**

"**What's the problem?"**

"**I must have mismeasured the cable length by a millimetron or two. I can't get it to reach!" Nagy said as he tried once again. It was just a hairs width short thou.**

"**Check the run of your cables; make sure their not catching on something!" Rader advised. **

**Nagy turned around as far as he could to see if he could find any snags in the cable. He didn't see anything at first, but when he pulled on the cable again, he could see that it was hanging up on one of the seat supports where he had spliced several small wires together. He reached down between his seat and the floor of his cockpit and worked the snag past the support. That done, there was more then enough cable to make the connection.**

**With all systems hooked up and all the programs downloaded, all that was left was to switch over to the new scanners. Nagy reached up and flipped the switch.**

"**I hope this works!"**

**The new systems immediately came to life as the power from the Viper's engines began to surge thru them. In the cockpit, Nagy was amazed by what he saw. The screen in his dash suddenly came to life with signals from not just the sector they were patrolling, but from the entire quadrant and beyond. He quickly began recording the readings from his new "hyper-scanners". The range they had wasn't a hundred times that of a normal Viper, but a THOUSAND times. Nagy kept checking the readings and was amazed, if what he was seeing was accurate, the scanners in this Viper were over ten times more powerful then those on the Galactica!**

"**Well, what's going on over there Nag's?" Rader said excitedly, seeing the light inside his partners Viper increase the way it did.**

"**You're not going to believe this Rader! It's fantastic! I'm picking up imagery from objects over a hundred million kilometrons away!" Nagy gushed.**

**Rader was dumbfounded. Nagy's scanner system not only worked, but it worked even better then the Galactica's scanners. It was a great technological achievement for the young man. **

"**So what do you see? Are you picking up anything?" Rader asked excitedly.**

**Nagy was so excited, he hardly heard his wingmate. He was too intent on what the new scanners were showing him. Not only was the range far greater then even he could have dreamed, but the resolution was fantastic! He focused the scanners beams on a small asteroid and was able to see every nook and cranny on it. When he switched over for a composition analysis of the asteroid, the detail that came thru from the new programs he had written were astounding. **

"**You're not going to believe the readings I'm getting Rader! I just did a detailed composition analysis of an asteroid over thirty million kilometrons away! If you looked at this, you'd swear it was only a few hundred metrons." Nagy gushed.**

**Rader began laughing again at his young partner's exuberance. He was sure that the Colonel would forgive him for breaking the rules this time if these new scanners worked as well as he said.**

"**I'm glad the thing is working for you Nag's, I know you've been working hard on it. But lets not forget why were out here pal. We still have to finish this patrol you know!" Rader said.**

"**Yea, yea, I hear ya!" Nagy said disappointedly. **

"**Hey, cheer up! You proved your system works! When we get back to the Galactica, you'll be a hero! They'll probably give you the Gold Cluster for this." Rader told him.**

"**I'm not interested in the Gold Clust ……" Nagy began before his voice tailed off. "Hey Rader, I'm picking something up on the lateral scanners, something big!"**

"**What is it Nag's? How far away?" Rader asked, the concern in his voice evident.**

"**I can't tell much about it; it looks like a huge dust cloud. WOW! This things enormous! I can't determine its full size, even with my scanners, it's that big!" Nagy said as he tried to adjust his new scanners. He tried to focus the scanners in tighter to get a detailed view of the cloud, but most of his signal was disrupted.**

"**How far away is it?" Rader asked again.**

"**I have it as fifty six million kilometrons, but it's hard to get a real accurate fix on it. Something in the makeup of that cloud is preventing my scanners from getting a good lock." Nagy said, still trying to get more information on the dust cloud. "Maybe we should swing by it and check it out?"**

"**I don't know about that Nag's" Rader told his enthusiastic young partner. "That cloud of yours is way out of our patrol grid. If we go check it out, we won't have enough fuel to finish our patrol, and that will piss the Colonel and the Commander off!"**

"**True, but this could be important." Nagy tried to reason. "For all we know, Earth could be on the other side of that cloud. I think we should check it out."**

**Rader didn't like this situation. The cloud was well out of their patrol sector and was nowhere near the path of the fleet, but it was close enough that if there was something there, the Commander should be made aware of it. He had to make a choice.**

"**Okay, we'll take a quick look, but you'll have to explain to the Colonel and the Commander why we didn't complete our deep probe as assigned." Rader said.**

"**No problem Rader, with these new scanners, we probably won't have to get very close anyway." Nagy said. "We shouldn't have to go more then ten million kilometrons out of our way."**

"**Oh, only ten million kilometrons!" Rader said sarcastically. **

**With that, the two Colonial Vipers veered away from their previous course to investigate this mysterious dust cloud. Nagy took the lead position so he could take full advantage of his new "hyper-scanners" as Rader had deemed them. He continued to focus the scanners on the leading edge of the cloud, trying to get a composition analysis of it, but was unable to get anything more then a few base elements. Something in the dust had a reflective quality to it that made a detailed scan impossible.**

"**So Nag's, you picking up anything yet?" Rader asked since the cloud was still well out of his scanners range, thou he was beginning to notice the lack of stars ahead of them.**

"**Nothing much, just the same felgercarb as before." Nagy said disappointedly. "Maybe we have to get closer?"**

"**Look pal, we're already way out of our patrol area. If we go any farther, we won't have enough fuel to get back to the Galactica. So get what scans you can from here and then let's go home!" Rader told him.**

**Nagy acknowledged his wingmates orders and began one last concentrated scan of the cloud. He had hoped for some better readings, but was unable to penetrate the cloud. Maybe the Commander would let him come back and take another crack at it once he'd seen the scans of this thing. He could only hope. **

**Nagy was just about to shut the "hyper-scanners" down when something appeared on his screen. It was only there for a micron, but it was there, something metallic and very large.**

"**Hey Rader, hold on a micron! I just had a contact on the scanner." Nagy said excitedly.**

"**What was it, a meteorite or something?" Rader asked impatiently. "Look Nag's, you had plenty of time to check this cloud out, now lets get moving. We might have just enough fuel to get back to the Galactica without going into our reserves if we leave now and stay off the turbos."**

"**Rader wait, I'm telling you I saw something inside that cloud!" Nagy said as he tried to focus his scanners on the spot the contact showed up. He fine tuned everything to an area of the cloud of about a hundred square metrons. He knew something was there.**

"**Look Nag's, whatever it is, it's gone now!" Rader said after several centons of waiting while Nagy continued searching. "We need to get going."**

**Nagy ignored his wingmate as he continued to search the cloud, narrowing the focus of his scans even farther. It had to be there!**

"**Alright Nag's, enough is enough! I'm telling you right now, stop what you're doin, and let's get movin, and that's an order!" Rader said, his patience at an end.**

**Nagy was just about to answer when his scanner began beeping. He had found something! And that something was big!**

"**Rader, I got it! I got it on my scanner right now! It ….. it looks like a ship of some kind. I can make out just a small piece of it, but it's there!" Nagy said excitedly.**

"**What do you mean you got it? You sayin you've picked up a ship hiding in that cloud?" Rader asked impatiently.**

"**Yea, yea I have a ship in the cloud. It's huge too!" Nagy said.**

"**What kind of ship is it? Can you get anything on it from the "warbook"?" Rader asked a bit more concerned now.**

**Nagy ran the ship thru his "warbook", a computerized listing of all the ships known to the Colonials, and waited for an answer.**

"**I wish I could see what it was you were looking at Nag's!" Rader said under his breath on the open frequency. Nagy heard this and had an idea.**

"**I might be able to help you there Rader!" Nagy told him and he made a few switches in the frequency of the scanners. Then he began transmitting the scanner feeds to Rader's Viper.**

"**How's that?" Nagy asked.**

**Rader was astonished! All of a sudden he was getting the same readings as Nagy. He could see the cloud in great detail, and there in the middle of his screen, he could just make out what looked like part of a very large ship. The readouts from the scanners showed it was made of some kind of material similar to those used by the colonies hundreds of yahren ago. **

**Rader was deeply engrossed in what he was seeing when an alarm went off in his cockpit. He looked away from the scanner screen to find his fuel emergency alarm had sounded.**

"**OH FRAK! Now we're in it up to our eyes!" Rader said. How was he going to explain this one? They had delayed there so long, they were into there emergency fuel reserve. That was a major breach of regulations and nothing they could say would change the fact that they broke one of the "golden rules" of being a Viper pilot. They had to leave now!**

"**Hey Nag's!" Rader began again, but before he could go any farther, Nagy cut him off.**

"**I know, I know! Mine just went off too!" Nagy said. "I think I got enough to prove my system works and to identify that ship!"**

"**You know what kinda ship that is?" Rader asked.**

"**I think so!" Nagy said as he turned his ship around to start back to the fleet.**

"**Well, are you going to let me in on it? What kinda ship is it?" Rader asked irritably.**

"**I'm not totally positive mind you ….." Nagy started, "But I think it might be a Battlestar!"**

"**A what!" Rader said, not believing what his young partner just said. "You can't be serious! What makes you think it's a Battlestar?"**

"**What else could it be, I mean look at the readouts Rader." Nagy began. "The size of the thing is incredible! And the material it's made out of are the same as what we used back in the early days of Battlestar construction. Even the general shape of the thing was the same as a Battlestar. I'm telling you Rader, I think we just found a Battlestar!"**

**Without saying another word, the two Warriors made their way back to the ship that they and thousands of others had called home for the past twenty four yahren, the Battlestar Galactica. It was a large, predatory looking vessel, built with one purpose in mind ….. Battle! War fighting was the soul reason for this ship and it was very, very good at it. The last of its kind, it showed the scares of its many engagements like badges of honor.**

**The two Warriors received clearance to land in the port side landing bay or "Alpha Landing Bay" as it was more commonly known. They both made their landings and taxied off to the debarking area of the bay. Their feet had no sooner hit the deck when an all too familiar voice was heard behind them.**

"**You two! Come with me, now!" roared Captain Boxey, the exec for Blue Squadron. From the look on his face, this was not going to be pleasant. The two pilots fell in behind the Captain, not saying a word as they made their way off the flight deck. They made their way to a nearby lift and began rising up thru the many levels of the great ship. They were somewhat surprised when they passed by the level where Blue Squadron was billeted and continued all the way up to "Flag Country". This was the part of the ship where only the senior officers and their staffs were allowed to go. Neither Rader nor Nagy had ever been in this part of the Galactica, and they were wishing that they weren't there now!**

**The lift stopped, and Captain Boxey stepped off followed by the two nervous pilots. Boxey hadn't said a word, nor even looked at them since they were on the flight deck. This made both men very uneasy. They continued down a short passageway to a large hatch with the Galactica emblem on it and stopped. Boxey pressed the call button and a moment later, a voice was heard.**

"**Come!"**

**The voice was that of Commander Apollo.**

**As the three Warriors entered the room, they found they had just entered a large briefing room. But this was no ordinary briefing room; this was Commander Apollo's "War Room". It was an amazing thing to behold. At one end of the room was a huge veiwport, twice the size of the one on the bridge. It gave a spectacular view of the space ahead of the fleet. On the opposite wall, was a huge veiwscreen on which information could be displayed for the entire staff to see. The Center of the room was dominated by a massive pyramid shaped table with what appeared to be a holographic projector in the center.**

**At the head of the table sat three officers, none of which were smiling.**

**In the center was Commander Apollo, commanding officer of the Galactica and leader of the fleet. Both Rader and Nagy had met the Commander when they had graduated from the Warrior Academy, but they had never had an opportunity to speak to him since. On one side of the Commander was Colonel Starbuck, the commander of the Galactica's strike wings and leader of Blue Squadron. On the other side, Colonel Boomer, the executive officer of the Galactica. **

**Rader and Nagy both swallowed hard having been brought before the command staff like this. Rader knew it would be bad, but …….!**

"**Do you two know why you're here?" asked Colonel Starbuck, who was staring daggers at the two of them. **

**The two young Warriors exchanged a glance, then Rader stepped forward and said, "I think I have a good idea sir!"**

**The three senior officers exchanged glances then Starbuck continued.**

"**You think so? Why do you think we had you brought here Lieutenant?" he asked.**

**Rader gathered up his courage and began, "Because we failed to complete our assigned patrol, we went outside our assigned patrol area, we failed to report these deviations to the flight control officer, and we used our emergency fuel reserves without proper authorization sir!"**

**Once again the senior officers exchanged glances. This time Colonel Boomer spoke.**

"**Well, each and every one of those reasons would be good enough to call you out on the carpet, but they are not the reason we had you brought here."**

**Rader and Nagy looked at one another in shock. If it wasn't one of the things Rader had named off, what could have been so important that they were brought before the senior staff? Then it hit them!**

**The Battlestar!**

**Realization must have showed on their faces because Apollo began nodding his head knowingly.**

"**Is this about that ship Nagy found sir?" Rader asked timidly.**

"**Yes Lieutenant, it is!" Apollo said. "When you reported in late from your patrol, you said you'd found a "Battlestar" or some kind of ship resembling a Battlestar. So I wanted you and Ensign Nagy to report to me straight away before you had a chance to talk to anyone else about this. Until we find out just what it is you truly found in this "dust cloud", I want to keep a lid on this, is that understood?"**

**Both junior officers snapped to attention and in loud voices called, "yes sir!"**

"**Good! Now, for the time being, you two will be kept in quarters in "Flag Country" until we can download you're scanner logs and decipher whatever it is you found out there." Apollo began.**

**Rader and Nagy looked at each other, surprised.**

"**I'll want you to tell us exactly what it is we're looking at when we go over your logs."**

**Apollo turned to Boxey, who had stood off to the side quietly listening.**

"**Boxey, I want you to go back to the maintenance bay and supervise the removal of the scanner logs and bring them back here. Under no circumstance's are any of the scanner tech's to download any part of those logs, is that clear!" **

"**Yes sir!" Boxey said somewhat coldly then he turned and left the room.**

**Apollo frowned a bit at his son's grim attitude. He had been that way ever since the passing of his beloved grandfather, Adama. Apollo hoped that someday his son would begin to find joy in life again.**

**As Boxy left, another person entered the room. He was a dark skinned man of middle-late yahren, his once dark hair now nearly all white. He wore the long, white robes of a diplomat, but he still had the strong stride of a Colonial Warrior.**

**He was President Tigh, President of the Council of the Twelve and leader of the civilian government. He was also the long time friend, advisor and councilor to Commander Apollo, having served with his father for many yahren as everything from his wingmate way back in their Bronze Squadron days to the last moment of Adama's life as executive officer of the Galactica. Tigh had been made President of the council by Adama as he lay dying in the Life Center after the attack on New Genesis. He had maintained the position with strong and competent leadership and the strong support of both Apollo and of a most unexpected ally …… Siress Tinia! He had been summoned to the Galactica by Apollo to be briefed on the possible sighting of another Battlestar by their patrol.**

"**Apollo, I made it here as soon as I could." Tigh said, extending his hand to the Commander.**

"**Glad you could make here sir, I know how busy you must be!" Apollo said as he clasped the president's wrist in a Warrior handshake.**

"**You know I never turn down a chance to get my feet back on the deck of the Galactica!" Tigh said smiling. "So what's this about another Battlestar? Don't tell me we've finally found the Pegasus after all these yahren?"**

**Apollo smiled and shook his head at his old friend's good humor. **

"**No sir, I don't think we found the Pegasus, we're not sure what we've found just yet." Apollo said as he and Tigh walked over to where Rader and Nagy still stood at attention. Tigh looked the two men up and down and then leaned over to Apollo and asked, "What did you do to these two Apollo? They look like a couple of statues!"**

**Apollo laughed a bit then told the two junior officers to stand at ease. Apollo then introduced the two Warriors to the President.**

"**So, you're the ones that think they found a Battlestar out there hiding in some kind of a dust cloud. Are you sure it was a Battlestar?" Tigh asked.**

**Rader and Nagy exchanged glances, then Nagy began speaking.**

"**Well sir, I can't say for certain that it was a Battlestar, but whatever it was, it sure was big and it looked an awful lot like a Battlestar sir!"**

**Tigh looked at the young man for a moment, then asked him, "How far away from this ship were you when you made your identification Ensign?"**

**Rader let out a slight groan and closed his eyes. Nagy visibly stiffened and began to stutter out a response. This made Tigh and Apollo both wonder what had gone on during this patrol of theirs.**

"**Well sir, we ….. ah, I mean, ah …… Rader and I ….. I mean the Lieutenant and me …."**

"**Take it easy Ensign; just tell us how far from the ship you were when you made your ID of it." Apollo said.**

**Nagy took a deep breath and then mumbled his answer so much that neither Tigh nor Apollo could understand him Apollo told him to say it again. This time there was no doubting what he said. **

"**We were about forty million kilometrons from the ship sir!"**

**Tigh and Apollo couldn't believe what they had just heard, there had to be a mistake.**

"**You can't be serious, forty million kilometrons! The Galactica scanners don't even have that kind of range." Apollo said. "You must be mistaken."**

**Nagy shook his head and said, "No sir, that's not a mistake. We were approximately forty million kilometrons from the dust cloud when I first made contact with the ship."**

**Apollo and Tigh exchanged looks of disbelief before Tigh asked, "How is that possible Ensign?"**

**Nagy squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. This is the moment he had been waiting for.**

"**It was possible mister President, Commander, because of a new type of scanner I invented. I installed it into my Viper and it worked well beyond even my own expectations."**

**Starbuck had been silently listening to their conversation up till then, but now he wanted some answers too!**

"**Nagy, who gave you permission to install this "new scanner" of yours? Why wasn't I told of this?" Starbuck said, his anger beginning to build. Then he turned to Rader and said, "Did you know about this Rader?"**

"**Settle down Starbuck, we can figure all that out later." Apollo said to his hot tempered friend. Then he turned back to Nagy.**

"**You said "you" invented this new scanner system? How is it you know so much about scanners when you're a Warrior and a pilot?"**

**Nagy looked Apollo in the eyes and told him what the recruiter had told him when he joined the Colonial service. Apollo nodded his head.**

"**I understand, I've heard that many times before." Apollo told the young man, then he turned to Starbuck, who had softened his expression somewhat after hearing this.**

"**Starbuck, why don't you have Doctor Wilker and some of the scanner techs have a look at this thing, maybe go over the tech drawings of this new system of his and see if this thing is for real. If it is, it could be the greatest breakthrough in scanner technology of the last hundred yahren."**

**Starbuck nodded his head and headed for the door, then he stopped and turned around, looking at the two young Warriors.**

"**Don't think that this is over yet boys, there are a lot of questions to be answered dealing with regulations and protocols broken by you two."**

**Then Starbuck left.**

**Rader and Nagy looked at each other and you could see them both slump slightly with dread.**

**Apollo and Tigh almost laughed at the reaction the two young Warriors had to Starbucks threat. Apollo was about to say something when the door chime sounded.**

"**Come!" Apollo called and the door opened, admitting Captain Reese, the leader of the Galactica security force.**

"**Reporting as ordered sir!" Reese said.**

"**Reese, take these two officers and find them quarters in "Flag Country". They are to have no contact with anyone other then the senior staff until further notice. Understood?"**

"**Yes sir!" Reese responded turning to the two junior officers. "You two follow me!"**

**They looked at Apollo, who nodded and said, "Dismissed", then they followed the tall security officer out of the room.**

**Tigh and Apollo went back to the table where Boomer still sat quietly and sat down.**

"**So Apollo, what do you think they found out there? Do you really think they found a Battlestar? And at forty million kilometrons, it seems too wild to be true!" Tigh said.**

**I'm not sure what to think sir, at least not till we've had a chance to see those scanner logs. I think most of what we need to know will be found there." Apollo said. He turned to Boomer, who had been very quiet the whole time and asked, "What do you think Boomer?**

**Boomer looked up from the small screen he'd been looking at for the past few centons and leaned back in his chair.**

"**I think their telling the truth! I was just checking over that Nagy kids file and if he said he built some kind of "super-scanner" system, he built one!"**

**Apollo and Tigh both leaned forward in their seats.**

"**What makes you say that Boomer? Apollo asked.**

"**Nagy's file shows that he wanted to be an electronics tech when he entered the academy."**

"**Yea, he told me that." Apollo said.**

"**Did he tell you he had the highest score on the academy aptitude test that's been recorded since the fall of the colonies?" Boomer asked.**

"**No, what were his scores?" Apollo asked.**

"**He scored a nine ninety eight on the mathematics, a nine ninety seven on the scientific, nine ninety six on the mechanical and a perfect score on the electronics. He never should have been made a pilot with scores like these!" Boomer told them.**

"**There must have been a reason for assigning him to flight school!" Apollo said. "What were his scores on the Warrior skills test?"**

**Boomer scrolled down to that section of Nagy's file. When he found them, a low whistle escaped from him.**

"**Here's the answer to that question, he scored extremely high in all phases of Warrior testing, especially those areas dealing with piloting. With the premium we've placed on Viper pilots, the recruiters must have disregarded his other scores when they saw these. He never had a chance at anything else." Boomer said.**

"**What's the status of our squadrons now? Do we have enough pilots to man all billets?" Apollo asked.**

"**Last time I looked, we were one hundred percent manned in all active squadrons with a whole new group of graduates ready to start filling the reserve list." Boomer told him.**

"**Good, then I see no reason why we can't transfer Ensign Nagy to the electronics section when this is all taken care of." Apollo said with a slight smile on his face. **

"**I'll take care of Commander." Boomer said with the same look on his face.**

**The door chime sounded just then and Boxey entered the room carrying several info disks in his hand. He approached Apollo and handed them to the Commander.**

"**Here are the scanner logs from Rader and Nagy's Vipers. That is some kind of setup Nagy has in there! I've never seen anything like it." Boxey told them. "I took the liberty of having their Vipers moved to a seclusion area and placed under guard until Doctor Wilker has a chance to check them out."**

"**Good idea! Wilker's already been notified, so he should be here soon." Apollo told him, then he turned to Boomer. "I want to get the senior staff up here to look at these with us. Who do we have that could identify this ship from Nagy's scans?"**

**Boomer shook his head slowly, saying, "I don't think we have anyone aboard the Galactica with a real broad knowledge of colonial designed ships. Let me get in touch with Colonel Croft over on the academy ship and see if he has anyone for us. He should have someone on staff with that kind of expertise!"**

"**Alright, while you're doing that, I'm going to take a look at what Rader and Nagy found!" Apollo said as he placed the first info disk into the computer.**

**Forty centons later, the senior staff had finally all gathered in the "war room" to view and analyze the scanner logs. Assembled there along with Apollo, Tigh and Boomer were Starbuck, Colonel Sheba from Silver Spar Squadron, Colonel Bojay from Gold Spar Squadron, Major Jolly from Red Squadron, Major Deitra from Green Squadron, Major Athena, the scanner operations officer for the Galactica, Rader, Nagy and Doctor Wilker, the chief scientist for the fleet.**

**They were looking at one of the images from Nagy's "Hyper-scanners", a view of what was most defiantly a ship of some kind, but was impossible for any of them to identify.**

"**I don't think it's a Battlestar, but it could be colonial. There are some similarities in the materials that Nagy picked up on the composition scans." Boomer said as he looked up at the "Big Picture" as they had dubbed the large viewer at the rear of the war room.**

"**These scanner images are unbelievable!" Wilker said as he moved closer to the screen. "The clarity and resolution are way beyond anything we currently have, even on the Galactica. What range did you say these were taken at?"**

"**Forty million kilometrons or so!" said Starbuck, still a bit ticked off by his pilot's disregard of regulations.**

"**Amazing! Simply amazing!" Wilker said under his breath.**

"**Does anyone have a clue as to what part of the ship were looking at?" Sheba asked no one in particular.**

"**That's the forward section of a Pulsar Class Battle Cruiser!" came a voice from the direction of the doorway.**

**Every head turned to see the young man that had entered the room unnoticed by anyone. He was very young, perhaps no more then eighteen, wearing the uniform of a first yahren cadet and carrying an arm load of tablets. He stood there staring up at the screen, not really paying much attention to the senior officers in the room.**

"**Excuse me, can I help you ….. Cadet!" Starbuck asked loudly.**

**The young man's focus left the screen and fell on Starbuck first, then he saw for the first time the other officers in the room. The cadet's jaw dropped as he realized he had just barged in on the senior staff as they were having a meeting. The young man immediately stood to attention, which unfortunately caused him to loose his grip on the stack of materials in his arms sending them falling in all directions. The cadet dropped to his knees trying desperately to retrieve his lost tablets and scrolls.**

**Apollo and Sheba both tried hard to fight back laughter as did several other members of the staff. Starbuck stood with his hands on his hips shaking his head at the sight of the young man crawling around on the floor.**

"**Would you like some help with those cadet?" Starbuck asked.**

**The young man, still on his knee's, came to attention and in a loud voice said "No sir! Thank you sir!" In doing this however, he dropped half the tablets he had just managed to retrieve. The cadet let out a loud sigh and started picking them up again.**

**Starbuck cast a glance over to where Apollo stood chuckling into his hand, and shrugged. Then he walked over to where the cadet was and said, "Maybe you should let me give you a hand with those!"**

**The young man said nothing, he just nodded his head and handed Starbuck some of the many items he had retrieved. When they had gathered the last of them, the cadet got to his feet and muttered a soft thanks to Starbuck, who led him over to the table and motioned him to put his materials down.**

**The young man complied and then stood there for a moment to gather his thoughts. It was then that he remembered where he was and who was there with him. He cast a quick glance about the room at all the smiling faces and snapped to attention.**

"**Sir! Cadet Sabo reporting as ordered sir!" he said loudly.**

**Apollo stepped over to where the cadet stood, still trying to suppress his laughter, and asked, "Who ordered you to report here Cadet Sabo?"**

**Sabo turned to face Apollo and said, "Sir, I was ordered to report to the Commander by Colonel Croft sir!"**

"**Croft? Why would he send a cadet here?" Apollo said. **

"**Sir, I was told you needed someone to identify a ship." Sabo said as his eyes wondered to the screen once again. "Is that the ship sir?"**

**Apollo glanced at the picture on the screen and told him it was.**

"**Can you identify that ship Cadet?" he asked.**

**Sabo looked at the ship a bit more closely then nodded his head.**

"**Yes sir, that's a Pulsar Class Battle Cruiser, Theta configuration. They were built between four hundred twenty and four hundred seventy yahren ago at the Caprican Shipyards."**

**The members of the senior staff were in awe! They had stared at the same picture for over twenty centons and couldn't make anything out about the ship except that it might be of colonial design and that it was made of similar materials as those used by the colonies. Then here come this first yahren cadet from the academy ship and with just a casual glance is able to tell not only what type of ship it is, but when and where it was built! Who was this kid?**

"**You're sure about that?" asked Starbuck, looking at the screen and trying to see what the young man saw. "How can you tell?"**

"**It's quite easy sir, although this image is a bit distorted and fuzzy, may I?" Sabo asked, indicating he wanted to use the computer.**

**Starbuck looked over at Apollo, who simply nodded consent, and said "Sure kid, go ahead."**

**Sabo sat down at the computer console that operated the screen and entered a few commands. The picture on the screen instantly became much clearer, so much so that small details that were invisible before where now crystal clear. **

"**That's better!" Sabo said as he entered a few more commands. **

"**Do you see these laser cannons here and here sir?" Sabo asked.**

**Apollo and the rest of the staff stepped closer to the screen as a small arrow appeared on the screen and began outlining the areas Sabo had just indicated.**

"**Yes, I see them now." Apollo said.**

"**The Pulsar class Battle Cruiser only used this type of alignment for a short time. Later versions moved the forward batteries from the forward dorsal to the port and starboard sides to provide better overall coverage of the space ahead of the ship."**

**Once again the senior staff were astounded by the young mans knowledge.**

"**Where did you learn so much about old colonial war ships Cadet?" Apollo asked.**

**Sabo looked away from the screen and answered, "From my father sir. He was the curator for the Colonial Fleet Archives at the academy on Caprica before the destruction. He managed to save a large part of them when he left the colonies."**

"**I see, and where is your father now?" Apollo asked.**

"**My father was killed on New Genesis sir." Sabo said sadly. "He was building a new place to house the archives in New Caprica city when the Cylons attacked."**

**Apollo's heart went out to the young man seeing as his own father had died in that very same attack. He knew just how he felt.**

"**How could you have learned all this from your father?" Jolly asked. "You couldn't have been more then a yahren or two old when New Genesis was destroyed."**

"**Very true Major, I was only a yahren old at that time." Sabo said. **

"**But you see, my father had been transferring the old hand-written archives like these onto info disks." He continued as he held up one of the old tablets. "I've listened to each and every one of them a hundred times, memorizing every detail. Before I enlisted in the academy, I had even started transferring data from these tablets to disks." **

"**So where are the archives now?" asked Boomer who had been studying the picture more closely.**

"**Their in the quarters my mother and I shared up until I joined the service. We've kept them there ever since my father took them from Caprica." Sabo said.**

"**Why hasn't anyone been informed of these records before now?" Apollo asked. "Did your father tell anyone he had them?"**

"**Yes sir, he did." Sabo said defensively, "He informed Commander Adama when he brought them aboard. From what my father told me, Commander Adama ordered him to keep them safe until such time as they could be made available to everyone. When my father died, my mother and I took over the care of them."**

"**You know Apollo, it seems to me that your father did mention something about the archives once, but you remember how chaotic those days were just after we left the colonies, with all that went on, I'm sure your father must have forgotten all about them." Tigh said as if trying to remember something from the distant past. **

"**Well, it seems that they've been rediscovered." Sheba said as she began looking thru the volumes of records the cadet had brought with him. "What are all these?"**

**Sabo looked to see what she was referring to and told her, "When I was told about this ship you wanted identified, I stopped off at my quarters to pick up a few things I might need to help. Those are some of the older records that have yet to be put on info disks."**

"**What else can you tell us about this ship? You said it's definitely colonial, can you tell us anything else about it? Is there any way to find out the name of it?" Apollo asked.**

**Sabo looked up at the screen for a moment, looking for any identifying markings. He didn't see anything right away but then saw a very small patch of color between two of the laser cannons. He began entering commands into the computer and a small box appeared around the color patch. After a few more commands were entered, that box grew in size to fill the entire screen. Sabo enter another command and the image, that had been fuzzy, became clear. The patch of color had become part of a symbol of some kind. Sabo followed the same procedure and enlarged the image once more. This time the image could be seen much more clearly then before, and Sabo couldn't believe what he saw!**

"**I don't believe it!" he whispered under his breath.**

"**What is it? What's that you focused in on, I don't recognize it." Apollo said, staring at the image.**

"**I've never seen anything like that on a colonial ship before." Boomer said.**

"**Is that a scorpion?" asked Sheba.**

"**Yes it is." said Sabo softly, almost reverently as he stared wide-eyed at the screen.**

**Apollo saw the look on the young mans face and asked him, "You know what that is?"**

**Sabo sat very still for a moment then turned to Apollo and said, "Yes sir, that's part of the Seal of the Royal House of Scorpia!"**

"**The Royal House of Scorpia? Are you sure?" Starbuck asked. "Why would somebody put that on a war ship?"**

"**In the early yahren of the war with the Cylons, each of the colonies built and maintained their own fleets of war ships." Sabo told them. "Sagitaria was the first, then Scorpia and Caprica and so on and so forth. After about six hundred yahren though, the cost of maintaining these fleets became too great for several of the colonies to sustain, so they turned over control of their fleets to the new Central Command. It was the beginning of what we know …… knew as The Colonial Warrior Service."**

"**So how does that explain this ship with the royal seal?" Starbuck asked.**

"**Well as you know, for most of the past five to six hundred yahren, the three biggest military powers in the colonies were Caprica, Sagitaria, and Scorpia." Sabo continued as if he was an instructor on the academy ship and the senior staff were a group of cadets. "Those three colonies accounted for over eighty percent of the personnel that made up the fleets. Scorpia was up till nearly four hundred yahren ago, ruled by a monarchy and their king was also the head of their military forces and held the rank of Commander."**

"**You said up till four hundred yahren ago, what happened to change that?" Sheba asked. "I thought Scorpia was a democracy?"**

"**It was, after the end of the monarchy." Sabo continued. "But before that, it was ruled by a line of Warrior-Kings that could trace their lineage back all the way to the royal halls of Kobol itself."**

**This bit of information brought a few shallow whistles.**

"**The last of the Warrior-Kings of Scorpia was a man named Leonidas." Sabo continued. "It was said that he was the greatest of the Warrior-Kings and perhaps the greatest Warrior to ever come from Scorpia. He was only twenty two yahren old when he ascended to the throne of Scorpia after his father's death in battle with the Cylons. Legend has it that Leonidas took command of the Scorpian fleet when his father was struck down and routed a superior Cylon force."**

"**They made him a Commander at twenty two?" Starbuck said surprised, "How can that be? Nobody's ever made Commander before they were in their thirties; even Cain was thirty six when he made Commander!"**

"**That may be true sir, but the Colonial Service was a lot different back then. The Central Command didn't start issuing commissions until three hundred forty nine yahren ago. Before that, each fleet had its own command structure." Sabo told him.**

"**You said this Leonidas was the last of the Scorpian Warrior-Kings, what happened to him?" asked Sheba.**

"**Nobody really knows! He disappeared, along with his entire fleet." Sabo said. "And this ship with the royal seal on it was one of them." **

**Sabo turned to Apollo and in a soft, almost reverent tone said, "Commander, you've just found a ship of the missing Second Colonial Fleet!"**

**Apollo stared at the young man for several moments then up at the big screen. Memories from his days at the academy came back to him as he remembered a story about an entire fleet that disappeared a long time ago. He turned back to Sabo and said, "I remember something about a fleet that went missing a long time ago, a fleet that was supposedly destroyed in battle by the Cylons. Do you think this is one of those ships Cadet?" **

**Sabo nodded his head, "Yes sir, this ship is definitely part of the Second Fleet. The Scorpian Commanders always had the royal seal placed on the ships of their fleet, they were also painted with blood red strips along the length of their hulls; this made it easier for them to spot their forces in battle."**

"**So you're saying that this ship we've found is part of a missing fleet from the colonies?" Starbuck asked.**

"**Yes sir. The Second Fleet left the colonies three hundred ninety six yahren ago; their mission was to stop an intrusion into a region of space called Thermopylae by the Cylons. Commander Leonidas took the Second Fleet and was never heard from again. It was assumed they were wiped out."**

**Everyone was quiet for several moments, lost in their own thoughts about the people of the Second Fleet, wondering what could have happened to them? Did any of them survive? If so, where did they go? Are their ancestors out there somewhere?**

"**We need to have a closer look at that ship!" Apollo said finally. "If this ship was a part of the Second Fleet, there might be some clues as to what happened to them onboard. Maybe we can download the ships records and logs, they may tell us something!"**

"**Do you think any of them survived? I mean maybe some of them survived and landed on a planet somewhere, started a new life, ya know?" Starbuck said hopefully.**

"**I guess anything is possible." Apollo said, "Starbuck, I want you to take part of Blue Squadron and check this ship out. Take Nagy and his new scanner system with you too. He might be able to use it to get you some better readouts once you get closer."**

"**Right, I'll take two flights with me!" Starbuck said.**

**Starbuck was starting to leave when Sabo asked, "I'd like to go too!"**

**Apollo and Starbuck both turned to look at the boy. He walked over to where they stood and said to them, "I think I should go with the Colonel."**

"**Oh, and why is that?" Starbuck asked.**

"**Because you'll need me! I mean who knows more about that ship then me? You'll need me to help identify it and show you where everything is." Sabo said. "Unless of course, you already know the layout of a Pulsar Class Battle Cruiser."**

"**He has a point Starbuck; you might want to take him along as a technical advisor." Apollo said smiling.**

**Starbuck looked at the young man for a moment, then slowly nodded his head.**

"**You're right; we might just need you over there. Okay, you come with me!" Starbuck said. With that settled, Starbuck, Nagy and Sabo left the "War Room" and made their way to Alpha bay.**

**A centar later in Alpha landing bay, a shuttle was being prepared for launch along with two flights from Blue Squadron. The ground crewmen hustled about the ships checking and double checking the ships, making sure that "their" Vipers were in the best condition possible before they let the pilots "borrow" them. That's the way every man and woman of the ground teams felt about the Vipers of the Galactica. They felt that those ships belonged to them since they were the ones that looked after them, fixed them, fueled them, made sure that when the klaxon was sound, their ships would be ready to defend the fleet. The pilots were only allowed to "borrow" the Vipers on those occasions, they didn't belong to the pilots, they were the ground crews Vipers!**

**The pilots were all gathered around Starbuck getting their last micron instructions as to what their mission was and what was expected of them.**

"**Alright, listen up. We're going to be checking out what appears to be an old Colonial war ship."**

**This brought a number of startled looks and whispers from the other pilots.**

"**As you were!" Boxey said loudly, quieting things down.**

"**There will be two flights on this mission. I'll be leading the Alpha flight, Captain Boxey, will have Beta flight. Alpha Flight will take the point and lead the way in, Ensign Nagy here will be my wingmate on this one, Commander Apollo wants him and his fancy new scanner system to show us the way to the ship he found. Beta flight will escort the shuttle with a repair crew and our "expert" on Colonial ships. Our mission is to locate, identify, and find out how it got all the way out here. We'll also evaluate the condition of this ship to see if it can be salvaged. We'll be launching in fifty centons, so everyone stay near the ready room. Any questions?"**

**No questions were forthcoming so Starbuck dismissed his troops, then added quickly, "and no drinking!" **

**This brought a few good natured groans as the pilots retired to the squadron's ready room. Starbuck headed for the bridge to see if Apollo had any last centon instructions for him, and he might have just enough time to swing by the Life Center and see Cassie before they launched. **

**He reached the bridge a short time later and found Apollo on the command dais going over something with Athena. It had been nearly twenty three yahren since he and Athena had been an item and twenty since he had been sealed to Cassiopeia, yet every time he saw Athena, he still got that same familiar feeling in his chest, like a whole group of flutterer's flying around. Did he still have feelings for Athena after all those yahren?**

"**Nah, couldn't be!" he said aloud. This was heard by Apollo and Athena who both turned to see him standing at the foot of the steps that led up to the dais.**

"**You say something Starbuck?" Apollo said quizzically.**

**Starbuck looked up at his friend then at Athena, who was seated at her console, a friendly and yet, knowing smile on her face. Did she know?**

"**Nah, just a passing thought I had. Nothing important." Starbuck said as he climbed the steps. "I wanted to see if you had any further instructions for us before we launch since we'll be out of communications range for awhile."**

**Apollo smiled and said to his friend, "Actually, I've had the fleet change course. We'll be heading along this course here" Apollo said as he used a holographic projector to show the new course in relation to the "dust clouds" last known location. "This course should keep us within communications range with your teams while keeping us out of scanner range, just in case this is some kind of trap."**

**Starbuck nodded his head and asked if there was anything else. Apollo told him that was it and that they should be away in forty centons. Starbuck said his goodbye's to Apollo, cast a glance toward Athena, who gave him a quick smile and a wink, and was on his way to the Life Center. **

**In the Life Center, Starbuck found Cassiopeia treating Captain Barton from Gold Spar Squadron for some kind of shoulder ailment.**

"**I keep telling you Captain, "You're not twenty yahren old anymore." But do you listen to me?" Cassie was lecturing to Barton. "You can't keep playing Triad against all these younger Warriors at your age. You're going to end up getting yourself hurt a lot worse then the simple broken collarbone you got this time."**

"**I'd listen to her if I were you Barton." Starbuck said as he walked over. "She gave me the choice of quitting Triad or going thru that physical rehab again, and believe me, it was much easier to give up the game."**

**Barton and Cassie looked over at Starbuck as he stepped up next to the table Barton sat on.**

"**You might be right Colonel, maybe it is time I let it go. These kids are just too fast and strong for me anymore." He said sadly, not wanting to admit that he was getting older.**

**Starbuck patted him on the back as Cassie had one of the med techs take over treating Barton's shoulder. Then the two of them retreated to her office to talk in private.**

"**I hear you're going on a mission!" She said bluntly.**

"**Well, yeah, it's nothing dangerous or anything, just a simple recon mission Cass!" Starbuck told her as if he'd been caught doing something wrong …… again!**

"**From what I've heard, you're going to check out some kind of old Battlestar or something!" she said definitively. "And you're taking half of Blue Squadron with you. That doesn't sound like a simple recon mission to me, not when the strike wing commander is leading it!"**

"**Okay, Okay! Yes, we are checking out a ship, and yes, it is Colonial; it's an old Battle Cruiser. We think it came from the Second Fleet, at least that's what our "expert" says."**

"**Well if that's all this mission is about, why are you going? Can't Boxey handle it? I was hoping we could spend some time together when I finished work." Cassie said, disappointment obvious in her voice.**

"**Apollo wants me to go so I can evaluate the condition of the ship. He wants to try and salvage it if possible." Starbuck said.**

"**Well, how long will you be gone?" she asked him.**

"**Not very long at all, five or six centars at the most!" he said. "I should be back by the time you get off work."**

**Cassie moved into his arms and held him tightly. Even after all those yahren and all the missions, she still worried that the next mission he went on would be the last time she'd see her husband alive.**

**Starbuck gave her a tight hug, then looked her in the eye and said, "I'll be back as soon as possible, I promise!" Then he kissed her and was off on another mission.**

**In the landing bay, everything was ready to go for the pilots of Blue Squadron. The final checks had been made, all fuel and oxygen lines were disconnected and stowed away and non-essential personnel had left the area. All that was left was for the pilots to climb into their Vipers and launch. **

**Lieutenant Komma, the flight deck officer, was making his final check of the area before releasing the deck to the flight control officer on the bridge, Lieutenant Rigel, who would pass the word along to Colonel Starbuck that his mission team was cleared for launch.**

**Komma found everything in readiness and gave the okay to the bridge. Once Rigel had been given the all clear, she passed the word along to Major Omega, the officer of the deck and her husband, who then informed Colonel Boomer and Commander Apollo that they had a "green deck" for launch. Apollo gave his approval to launch and Rigel passed the word down to the pilot's ready room. The pilots made their way quickly to the flight deck were they mounted their Vipers, donned their helmets, and closed their canopies in readiness for launching.**

**Those personnel assigned to the repair teams that were aboard the shuttle were strapping in while the two pilots, Lieutenants Qualls and Vache, were busy in the cockpit running thru their pre-launch checklists. When this was done they sent word to the flight control officer that they were ready to launch.**

**Then, when all units had reported in, Rigel sent word to the Commander that everyone was ready. Apollo gave the go ahead to launch all ships, which Rigel passed along to the ships on the flight deck.**

"**Core Command to Blue Squadron Leader, you are cleared to launch!"**

"**Roger that Core Command, Blue Squadron Leader launching!" responded Starbuck as he hit the button on his "joystick" to launch. Instantly the sleek ship was catapulted down its launch tube and flung into open space. He was followed closely by the rest of Blue Squadron and the shuttle, which was launched from the aft section of the landing bay. Once all the ships were launched, they rendezvoused and headed out in search of the mystery ship.**

**It took nearly three centars for them to get within scanning range of the dust cloud where the ship was located. Only Nagy's ship was able to scan the vessel from that range, but he was able to transmit his scanner readings to the other ships of the squadron with little trouble. The power of this new scanner technology amazed them all; even Starbuck, who's earlier anger was dissipating after seeing the scanners in action. The readings coming in were especially interesting to Sabo because he was able to pick up more and more details about the ship. He was now convinced he knew what ship it was, but he would hold back telling anyone until he was absolutely certain, not wanting to appear a fool in front of the members of Blue Squadron.**

**At a range of just over a million kilometrons, Starbuck called back to Boxey, "Boxey, I want you to hold position here with the shuttle until we have a closer look at this thing. Have your flight scan the area for intruders just in case it's a trap. You know what to do if it is, right?"**

"**Yes sir, we're to turn back on our pre-determined egress routes and get a warning off to the fleet and under no circumstances are we to lead the enemy back to the fleet." Boxey said almost robotically. **

"**Right, we can't take any chances. I'll take my flight and try to get a positive ID on this ship." Starbuck said to Boxey, then to Sabo in the shuttle he said, "Cadet Sabo, I want you to stay on this frequency and monitor the scanner readings. If you see anything of importance, I want you to speak up immediately, understood!"**

"**Yes sir!" Sabo responded sharply to Starbucks orders.**

**Starbuck smiled widely hearing the Cadets snappy reply. Then he contacted Nagy.**

"**Alright Nagy, do you still have a lock on that ship of yours?"**

"**Yes sir, the dust in this cloud is playing Hades with my scanners, but I still have a good lock on it!" he replied.**

"**Alright then, Nagy, you take the point with me, Alpha Flight, follow us in. Beta Flight, hold position till I contact you." Starbuck issued his orders, "Let do this!"**

**With that, the first group of Vipers moved out toward the cloud. **

**The journey took an additional centar to make as they kept their speed down to optimize their fuel consumption. Nagy continued to scan the cloud and the ship therein for any signs of life, but found none. They did however get some greatly improved scans of the ship that thrilled Sabo back on the shuttle. He and the other technicians crowded around the monitors, fascinated by every detail of the unknown ship. **

**When they had finally arrived at the leading edge of the cloud, Starbuck had three Warriors, Nagy, Lieutenant Quinn and Ensign Uhle, join him while the rest of the group held their positions outside the cloud. **

"**Okay, Nagy, you take the lead. I'll follow just behind you. Quinn, you follow on my left, Uhle on my right. We'll proceed at extreme slow speed." Starbuck ordered. "Once we get a visual on this thing, I want you each to move along one side of the ship. Look for anything that might be a landing bay or maybe a hatch we can enter thru. Scan for any kind of life signs or power emanations from inside the ship. Is everyone ready?"**

**All three Warriors said they were, so off they went. **

**Nagy took the lead position and entered the cloud. The signal from his Viper was somewhat disrupted by the dust of the cloud, but it was still strong enough to show that the ship within was in fact a Colonial Battle Cruiser, just as Sabo had said.**

"**I've lost my link to Nagy's scanners!" Quinn said after just a few microns.**

"**Mine's gone too!" Uhle added.**

"**Same here, okay you guys, go to visual spacing. Stay within sight of Nagy's ship and use your own scanners. They won't be of much use, but they're better then flying blind." Starbuck said.**

"**Not by much!" Uhle quipped.**

**It took another two centons to come into visual range of the ship. It was an awe inspiring sight, this giant ship of a nearly forgotten era. The four Warriors stopped for a moment to get their bearings and re-focus on the task before them.**

"**Wow! Would you look at that!" Quinn said excitedly.**

"**Look at that thing; it looks like it was hit by supernova or something!" Uhle said.**

"**Alright you two, lets knock off the chatter!" Starbuck admonished them, though he was feeling the same things they were. The ship before them looked as if it had gone thru a battle with the entire Cylon fleet. The hull of the great ship was burned and scared as far as they could see, with several huge holes ripped thru the outer hull, leaving the interior sections of the ship exposed to space. They seemed to be sitting just off the forward section of the Cruiser, just above the one of the laser cannons, or at least what was left of one, most of the weapon had been blasted away long ago.**

"**Okay people, listen up!" Starbuck said. "Quinn, you got the left side, Uhle, you take the right. Nagy, I want you to take the underside while I take the top. Go slow and watch out for floating debris, I don't want any of you getting hit by a piece of this old girl by accident."**

"**Yes sir, I'll see you on the other end!" Nagy said as he touched off his maneuvering thrusters and began heading for the underbelly of the ancient warship. Starbuck and the others did the same as they headed for their search areas. The visibility was not very good, only a hundred metrons or so, making it difficult to see much of anything. What they saw along the sides of the ship were remarkably similar to the front section, huge holes in the hull, scorch marks from tremendous fires, and weapons that had been completely obliterated. Each man wondered how anyone could have survived.**

**Starbuck made his way along the top of the old Battle Cruiser and was amazed that the ship was still in on piece. There was a huge hole where the bridge should have been, the result of a Cylon missile no doubt. He doubted seriously that anyone could have survived aboard this ship.**

**Quinn moved slowly along the left side of the ship, looking for the landing bay or any other way to get inside the ship. There were a number of large holes in the hull, but there was no way to land a Viper safely on the old derelict. He continued along until, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something moving toward him. He instinctively pulled away from the object, a little faster then he probably should have, and nearly ran straight into part of what was left of one of the massive laser cannons. He managed to avoid crashing, but the sudden increase in speed and movement caused the dust in the cloud to begin swirling around, obstructing what little view he had. All he could do was come to a complete stop and wait for things to settle down while thanking the Lords of Kobol for protecting him.**

**On the opposite side of the Cruiser, Uhle was having much better luck. He had found what looked like one of the landing bay arms and had followed it down to the bay. It seemed to be intact, thou it did show a good deal of damage. He slide slowly down the side of the bay and saw what looked like a nameplate. He maneuvered his Viper closer for a better view, but the letters on the plate were nearly unreadable.**

"**Hey Colonel, I think I found the name plate of this thing!" he announced on the com system. "Most of the name is gone, but I can make out the first and last letter. The first letter is an "A" and the last one is an "S". Looks like there might be room for two or three letters in between."**

"**Are the letters written in standard or in the ancient Scorpion?" asked Sabo excitedly over the com unit in the shuttle.**

"**What I can see looks like colonial standard, but there is a symbol above the "S", but I don't know what it is!" Uhle said. **

"**An "A" and an "S", does that tell you something Sabo?" asked Starbuck.**

"**It tells me that I'm right about what ship this is." The young cadet said. "There was only one Pulsar Class Battle Cruiser built in the Theta configuration with a name that began with an "A" and ended with an "S". This has to be the Aegis!" **

"**The Aegis, never heard of it!" Quinn said, not believing this "cadet" truly knew what he was talking about.**

"**That doesn't surprise me "Lieutenant"," Sabo said with a slight edge. "I would have been surprised if you had!"**

**Before Quinn could respond, Starbuck cut him off.**

"**So you're sure this is the Aegis?"**

"**Yes sir, there's no doubt about it."**

"**Alright then, we need to report this back to the Galactica. Boxey, send a message to the Commander. Tell him we have a positive ID on the ship and we are continuing with our survey."**

"**Right, I'll fill them in on all the details." Boxey said almost devoid of any emotion.**

**Starbuck shook his head slightly. He wondered if Boxey would ever come out of the emotional funk he had been in since Commander Adama died. Only time would tell.**

"**Alright, now that we know who she is, let's see if we can find a way inside. I'd say she's beyond salvaging, but there might still be some useable parts on her." Starbuck said.**

"**We might be able to download the computer core as well." added Uhle.**

**And so, the four Vipers continued on with there recon of the ancient vessel.**

**Nagy was moving slowly along the underside of the Battle Cruiser, not wanting to stir up the dust any more then he already was. Visibility was no more the thirty or forty metrons and less in some places. There were also a fair number of pieces hanging down from the old war ship that could entangle a Viper if the pilot was not paying attention. Nagy was almost to the end of the ship when he began picking up another contact.**

"**Nagy to Blue leader, I just picked something new up on my scanner."**

"**What do you got Nagy?" asked Starbuck a micron later.**

"**I'm not sure, but it looks like another ship!" Nagy said as he tried to focus his scanner on the new blip.**

"**A ship, where? What direction?" Starbuck asked quickly.**

"**I have it about a thousand metrons behind and below the Aegis." Nagy said as he continued to work his scanner. "I can't get a good reading on it because of the dust though!"**

"**Can you tell if it's moving or not?" Starbuck asked, thinking they might have been drawn into a trap.**

"**Negative Colonel, it seems to be stationary. From what little I can pick up, I'd say it's another derelict." **

**Starbuck thought about it for a moment and decided Nagy was probably right. **

"**Alright Nagy, you meet me at the rear of the Aegis. We'll check out this new ship. Quinn, you stay here with Uhle and keep searching for a way in. Let me know if you find one."**

"**You got it Colonel!" Quinn replied.**

**With that, Starbuck moved slowly to the after end of the old Battle Cruiser, where he meet up with Nagy and then proceeded in the direction of the new contact. Progress was slow thru the dust cloud as it seemed to get thicker the farther they penetrated it. If they moved too fast, they risked stirring the dust up and losing what little visibility they had. They continued forward, using Nagy's "hyper-scanners" to lead the way to the new contact when Nagy began picking up several other blips on his screen.**

"**Hey Colonel, I'm picking up three ….. no, make that four new contacts. Wait, now I have five new contacts, their all over the place!" Nagy said excitedly with just a hint of fear in his tone.**

"**Five, are you sure that new scanner of yours isn't screwing up!" Starbuck asked with a bit of anger in his voice.**

"**No sir Colonel, my scanners check out fine. From what I'm seeing, there are at least six ships within scanner range." Nagy said defensively. "I have solid locks on the Aegis and the ship directly aft of it and intermittent readings on four farther on." **

"**Alright! Alright! I believe you! Can you get an ID on any of them?" Starbuck asked.**

**Nagy worked on the contact nearest them and what he saw was almost unbelievable!**

"**Colonel, I've got an ID on the ship closest to us, but you're not going to believe it!" Nagy said.**

"**Really, why?" Starbuck asked.**

"**According to the "war book", that ship is a Battlestar of the "Alexandria" class!" Nagy told him. "But according to this, the last ship of that class went out of service over three hundred yahren ago!"**

"**Alexandria class huh, well, if this is part of the missing Second Fleet that would be just about right." Starbuck said more to himself then to Nagy. "Let's go have a closer look at her!"**

**The two Vipers proceeded ahead until they were in visual rage of the gigantic old warship. It loomed in the dust cloud, a huge, dark shape before becoming a more recognizable form as they grew nearer. The two Warriors were in awe as they closed in on this behemoth of another era. They moved in from above the great ship directly on its nose where they could just make out some of the details of this long forgotten vessel. **

"**Would you look at that!" Nagy exclaimed softly as he stared wide-eyed at the old ship. "Have you ever seen anything like that before Colonel?"**

"**Is that some kinda crack about my age Ensign?" Starbuck asked jokingly.**

"**No sir, not at all! I only meant ….."**

"**Easy kid, easy! I was only kidding!" Starbuck said quickly before Nagy lost his concentration on the task at hand. "What do you have on your scanners? Any energy readings or life signs?"**

**Nagy got his mind back on his duties and began running scans of the ship. After several microns he signaled Starbuck.**

"**Nothing on my scanner Colonel, no power emanations, no life signs, nothing!" Nagy reported.**

"**Okay, let's have a look at the Alpha landing bay. Maybe we can find out who this old girl is." Starbuck said as he pushed his stick forward. The two Vipers slow turned and descended to the port side of the ship until they reached the forward section of the landing bay. Once there, they made their way carefully to where they hoped to find the nameplate for the ship. They were not disappointed.**

"**Looks like we're in luck, the nameplate looks to be intact!" Starbuck said. "There's a lot of grime on it, but it doesn't look to be damaged."**

"**Maybe I can blow some of the dirt off the nameplate if I fly by and hit my turbo's when I'm on top off it." Nagy suggested.**

"**It might work, but if you hit your turbo's too hard, you could fly off into a piece of floating wreckage or lose your bearings on the way out of this felgercarb." Starbuck warned him.**

"**I've got a solid lock on this ship and the Aegis so I shouldn't get lost and there is no debris in the area so I shouldn't have any problems." Nagy told him. "What do say Colonel? Should I give it a try?"**

**Starbuck wasn't sure this was such a good idea, especially since it sounded like something HE would have come up with, but there was no easy way to do it, so …. **

"**Alright Nagy, Let me get in position to read the nameplate and you make a slow pass. When you get over it, hit your turbo's …… only for a micron or two! Anymore then that and you might end up plowing into the side of one of those other ships."**

"**Right, I'll take it easy!" Nagy said reassuringly as he moved off slowly so he could line up on the nameplate. Starbuck slide around to the side of the landing bay where he would be able to get a good view of the nameplate if this worked. He was only about twenty metrons from the ship; to move farther away would make it nearly impossible to see the name. Nagy made his turn and began moving slowly toward the landing bay.**

"**Colonel, I'm beginning my approach." Nagy reported. "Let me know when to hit my turbo's."**

"**Right! You just be careful where you go after you hit them." Starbuck said.**

**Nagy continued forward slowly. He was just passing over the forward edge of the landing bay now, then he caught site of the nameplate's leading edge. It looked so much bigger at this range. It was then that Starbuck's voice interrupted his thoughts.**

"**Okay Nagy, get ready! You're about thirty metrons out …. twenty ….. ten ….. NOW!"**

**Nagy hit his turbo's and was thrown back into his seat as his Viper accelerated swiftly away. He almost immediately hit his braking flaps and reverse thrusters, slowing his forward momentum almost to a dead stop. He slowly turned his Viper around and proceeded back to the old Battlestar. **

**Starbuck sat watching the approaching Viper slowly make its way forward. As it neared the nameplate's leading edge it seemed to drop down closer to the surface of the ship. Starbuck hit his com switch and said to Nagy, "Okay Nagy, get ready! You're about thirty metrons out …..twenty ….. ten …..NOW!"**

**When he said that, white flame shot out from Nagy's engines, thrusting it forward at an incredible rate of speed to disappear in a flurry of dust. Behind it however, for a short period of time, there appeared a relatively clear area of space. It was centered right over the forward section of the Alpha landing bay of the ancient Battlestar. Starbuck was shocked that their plan had worked so well, because there before him, the name of this old ship of war had been revealed. For the first time in centuries, the name of the ship was visible. **

**Carpathia**

"**Did it work Colonel?"**

**Starbuck made no response. He had hardly even heard Nagy's voice as he sat there staring at the nameplate of the old Battlestar. **

**The Carpathia.**

**Starbuck remembered the name. It was on the list of ships that had been assigned to the Second Colonial Fleet nearly four hundred yahren ago. It had disappeared along with all the others and now, here it was! He remembered something that Apollo said about it, a story about how the Second Fleet was sent out to stop a Cylon armada and was never seen again. Was it possible that this dust cloud held …..?**

**Then Starbuck's revere was broken by the now insistent voice of Ensign Nagy.**

"**Hey Colonel, are you okay over there?"**

**Starbuck turned his head to find Nagy's Viper just a few metrons away, a look of worry on his face.**

"**Yea kid, I'm fine." He said weakly as he looked back at the Battlestar. Then in a voice with much more of his usual bravado, he said, "I see you didn't crash into anything, I might just make a Viper pilot out of you yet!"**

**Nagy smiled and said, "Thanks Colonel."**

**Starbuck flashed him one of his famous smiles and then got back to the business at hand.**

"**Well, now that we know what we have here, we need to find out just how many ships there are in the felgercarb!" Starbuck said. "But first I think we need to get back to the others and contact the Galactica. Apollo will want to know what we found here as soon as possible. You lead the way Nagy!"**

"**Whatever you say Colonel!" Nagy replied as he pulled slowly out in front of his commanding officer. Starbuck tucked himself in right behind Nagy and followed him back to the Aegis where Quinn and Uhle should still be. As they pulled away from the ancient Battlestar, Starbuck continued to glance back at it until it was nothing more then a dark shape. A few microns later, it was gone from site, once again swallowed up by the dust.**

**Starbuck and his three pilots slowly emerged from the cloud almost at the same spot they had entered. There they found the rest of Alpha flight waiting.**

"**Did you find it Colonel?" asked Lieutenant Firova.**

"**Yea, we found it alright, and more!" Starbuck replied. Then he switched frequencies and sent a message to the Galactica.**

"**Blue leader to Galactica, come in please."**

**A few moments later, the familiar voice of Apollo came thru the speaker. **

"**Go ahead Starbuck. What did you find?"**

"**You're not going to believe this buddy, but I think we just found the whole Second Fleet!**

**  
**


	13. The Carpathia

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter 13**

**The Carpathia**

"**Say that again, you found the whole Second fleet?" Apollo exclaimed, not sure he had heard Starbuck correctly.**

"**Well, maybe not the whole thing, but at least a good part of it!" Starbuck said excitedly. "Nagy and I were checking out that cruiser when he picked up another ship, so we went to check it out ….."**

"**Starbuck, two ships don't constitute a "fleet" Apollo interrupted.**

"**Yea, I know, but what would you say if I told you there were at least a half dozen ships in this dust cloud?" Starbuck shot back excitedly.**

"**A half dozen ships! Are you sure?" Apollo asked, thinking that what Starbuck was telling him couldn't possibly be true.**

"**At least that many, maybe more!" Starbuck said. "Nagy and I were able to confirm at least a half dozen contacts and we have positive ID on one of them, an "Alexandria" class Battlestar."**

"**A Battlestar, what Battlestar?" Apollo asked, now totally confused.**

"**The Carpathia!" Starbuck said.**

"**The Carpathia was one of the ships of the Second Fleet" Sabo cut in. "It was under the command of Commander Dienekes."**

"**Who?" Starbuck asked.**

"**Commander Dienekes. He was Commander Leonides's second in command and from all accounts, his best friend." Sabo told them.**

"**The Second Fleet, incredible!" Apollo said under his breath. Then to Starbuck he said, "Starbuck, I want you to hold your position until the rest of the fleet arrives. Don't try and search that dust cloud without more backup. Until we arrive, I want you to have Cadet Sabo go over the scans you and Nagy made of these other ships. See if he can tell you anything more."**

"**Sabo's already working on the scans. Hopefully he'll have something for us by the time you arrive." Starbuck said. "Hey listen, are you sure you don't want me and Nagy to go back in and look for more ships?"**

"**Not until the rest of the fleet arrives. If this is some sort of trap, I want to you to have more then just half a squadron for back up." Apollo told him.**

"**Alright, we'll hold our position here." Starbuck said somewhat disappointed.**

**It took the Galactica nearly two centars to reach Boxey's location and another centar before they came upon Starbuck and his group. Now with the Galactica there, Starbuck was ready to get back to the search for more ships. Unfortunately for him, Apollo had another assignment in mind.**

"**You want me to what?" Starbuck exclaimed, not believing what Apollo had just told him.**

"**I want you to go with Sabo and check out that Battlestar." Apollo repeated.**

"**But Apollo, don't you think it would be better if I went with Nagy to look for more of this fleet? I mean, couldn't Sheba or Bojay take Sabo over there?"**

"**Sheba and Bojay's squadrons are pulling patrol duty while were sitting here. I don't want to have any surprise visits from the Cylons or anyone else for that matter while the fleet is stationary." Apollo said to him. "Of course I could always have you and Blue Squadron take the extra patrols!" **

"**Ah, yea, I think I'd rather baby sit Sabo then pull patrol duty!" Starbuck said. **

"**I thought you'd see things my way!" Apollo chuckled. "I think Jolly and Greenbean can handle searching the dust cloud with Nagy, besides, I want a member of the senior staff in charge of the search teams aboard that ship. No telling what you might find there." **

"**Lovely, so what do you want us to look for exactly?"**

"**I want you to take Sabo and the rest of the techs you had with you before and find a way in to that ship. We need to know what condition she's in and if we can get her up and running again. I don't have to tell you how important it is that we try and salvage as many of these ships as possible."**

**Starbuck nodded his head, knowing full well that the one hundred sixty three ships that comprised the fleet were becoming woefully over crowded.**

"**Alright Apollo, I'll take Sabo. Who knows, Maybe I'll find some vintage ambrosia over there!" Starbuck said with a bit of his usual flair.**

"**Well if you do, you had better be ready to share it with your commanding officer!" joked Apollo.**

"**Well see!" Starbuck said with a smile and a wink as he headed for the launch bay. **

**Starbuck arrived in the launch bay and found that a shuttle was already loaded and set to launch. Piloting the shuttle were Captain Boxey and Lieutenant Kistler with Lieutenants Kell, Neel, and Trapp along to provide security, just in case there were any unexpected occupants aboard the ancient ships. Sabo was also there, already strapped in to one of the seats and going over more of the scans taken by Ensign Nagy on the first run thru the cloud. He had already identified half of the ships scanned and was working on the rest.**

"**Are we ready to go Boxey?" Starbuck asked as he made his way to the front of the shuttle. **

"**Yes sir, just waiting for final clearance." Boxey said in his usual non-emotional way.**

"**Good, as soon as you get clearance, go ahead and launch. The sooner we get going, the better." Starbuck said as he made his way to an empty seat and strapped in. It was only a few micros later that the bridge called down to clear the shuttle to launch. Boxey acknowledged the order and passed the word to those on the shuttle to stand by for launch.**

**With that, Boxey pressed the button on the control stick and the shuttle was on its way toward the cloud. At that same moment, a group of Vipers were being launched from Alpha bay. This group was being led by Major Jolly and consisted of himself, Captain Greenbean and Ensign Nagy. Their mission was two fold. First they were to escort the shuttle to the Battlestar Carpathia, once there, they were too begin a thorough sweep of the dust cloud to ascertain exactly how many ships were actually there. **

**It would be a slow and tedious process, but it was one that Nagy was looking forward to. He was thrilled as to how well his new scanners worked and even more so at the way the Commander and Colonel had accepted it. But what really had made his day was the news that he would be transferred to the electronics division once he had finished with this current detail. Doctor Wilker had already informed him that he would be put in charge of the team that would begin upgrading the scanners not only in all of the Vipers of the Galactica's squadrons, but of the Galactica itself! Quite a feather in his professional cap, but first they had to finish up with the mission at hand. **

**The three Vipers of Jolly's group rendezvoused with the shuttle carrying Starbuck and the technicians heading for the Carpathia. The group of four ships headed for the dust cloud with Nagy's Viper in the lead and Jolly and Greenbean flanking the shuttle. They slowed down almost to a dead stop just before they entered the cloud so as not to stir up the dust and to keep from running into any debris that might be hidden from sight. Nagy switched over his transmitting frequency so he could send his scanner readings to the other two Vipers and the shuttle to aide in navigating the cloud.**

**After about twenty centons, Nagy began picking up the ancient Battlestar on his scanner.**

"**Nagy to shuttle, I have the Battlestar on scan now." He reported.**

"**Shuttle confirms, we're picking it up too." Boxey replied. "Estimate twelve centons to intercept at present speed." **

**The four ships continued on until the form of the Carpathia began to take shape and become recognizable as a Battlestar. Once they had reached visual range, Jolly contacted the shuttle.**

"**Blue five the Galactica shuttle, I think this is your stop." Jolly said with a humorous tone. **

**Starbuck picked up a headset and replied to Jolly's jest.**

"**Hey Jolly, sure you don't want to trade places?"**

"**No thanks skipper!" Jolly laughed. "The last thing I want to do is to go traipsing around in an old ship like that! Too many ghosts!"**

"**Yea, I know what you mean." Starbuck said dejectedly. "Alright, go carry out your mission and don't forget to check in every two centars."**

"**Right skipper, every two centars, got it!" Jolly said. "Anything else?"**

"**Yea, be careful!" Starbuck answered.**

"**Will do Colonel, see you soon." Jolly said as he and the other two Vipers moved off to begin their search of the dust cloud.**

**Boxey meanwhile had maneuvered the shuttle in along the starboard side of the Carpathia and was moving along the landing bay. He was hoping that the landing bay would be clear enough to fly the shuttle in and land, but was not overly optimistic about his chances, believing that the centuries spent in the dust cloud had most likely clogged up the entire landing bay. **

**He was about to be pleasantly surprised because as Boxey brought the shuttle around to where the opening to the landing bay was, he was confronted not by a wall of dust and debris, but by a solid white wall of a substance he had never seen before.**

"**What in Hades is that?" he muttered loudly.**

**Starbuck, Sabo, and several of the techs stared out at the strange site. **

"**Plastizine!" Sabo whispered to himself.**

"**What?" Starbuck asked, turning to the young man next to him.**

"**Sabo looked at the Colonel with a huge smile and said, "Plastizine! They used plastizine to cover the landing bay opening! That's fantastic!"**

**Starbuck was a bit confused, "What in Hades is plastizine?"**

**Sabo looked at him with a rather amused expression on his face, wondering how it was that all the senior officers in the fleet seemed not to know about such simple things like the type and class of Colonial warships or plastizine.**

"**Plastizine Colonel, it's a preservative film used by the colonies for hundreds of yahren. It was used to seal off a ships electrical and electronic systems when they were being retired from service, but this is the first time I've ever heard of it being used to seal off an entire ship!"**

"**So what exactly does that mean, this ship's been preserved or something?" Boxey asked from the pilot's seat.**

"**That Captain is exactly what that means." Sabo said as he continued to examine the huge covering. "When they left these ships here, they must have been planning on coming back for them."**

"**So what do you think happened to the people that left them here?" Kistler asked.**

"**That Lieutenant is something we're going to try and find out." Starbuck said. "But first we have to find a way into this old girl. Any suggestions Cadet?"**

"**Well, I'd say cut a hole out in the plastizine and land inside the bay." Sabo suggested.**

"**How thick is that stuff?" Boxey asked.**

"**Not very thick, maybe a few millimetrons at the most, why?" Sabo said.**

"**If it's only a few millimetrons thick, why not just fly thru it?" Boxey asked.**

"**Well, I guess you could, but you'd shred the plastizine, thus losing the ability to keep the dust out." Sabo said as if he were talking to an idiot. "If we cut the plastizine neatly, we'll be able to replace it with a minimal amount of dust getting in."**

**Boxey turned in his seat and gave Sabo a look that left no doubt what he was thinking, but he said nothing, much to Sabo's relief. Starbuck jumped in before anyone could say another word.**

"**Okay then, we'll cut a hole large enough to get the shuttle thru and then reseal it to keep out the dust. Any volunteers to go out and do the cutting?"**

"**I'll do it Colonel." Boxey said as he took off his headset and restraints. "I'm the only one that's ever done anything like that besides you."**

"**Alright, Neel, help Boxey get into his EVA gear." Starbuck said as he took over the pilot's position. "Secure yourself to the shuttle before you do anything, then climb up to the front. I'll get you as close as possible. From there you can hook up to the landing bay and disconnect the tether to the shuttle. Then just cut a hole big enough for me to get the shuttle thru. Once we're in, go ahead and reseal the plastizine. Got it?"**

"**I got it Colonel." Boxey said as he placed the clear helmet on and secured it in place. After a brief safety check, he moved to the airlock at the rear of the shuttle.**

"**Give me a few centons to get into position before you move in on the plastizine barrier Colonel. Then Back the shuttle off a couple of metrons so you don't drift into me." Boxey said.**

"**What's the matter kid, don't trust me to fly this thing?" Starbuck joked.**

"**I trust you Colonel, but why tempt fate?" Boxey said solemnly. **

**Starbuck grimaced a bit at the tone of Boxey's voice.**

"**You got it!" he said.**

**Boxey entered the airlock and after the pressure was equalized with the vacuum of space, he exited thru the outer hatch and began his slow journey toward the front of the shuttle. It took nearly two centons for Boxey to climb along the outer hull of the shuttle and to a place along the front of the ship. Once there, he motioned to Starbuck to move in.**

**Starbuck piloted the shuttle to within a metron of the plastizine sheet and came to a dead stop. From there, Boxey was able to hook his safety line onto the side of the landing bay and disconnect his line to the shuttle. With that done, Starbuck pulled the shuttle slowly away from the landing bay so Boxey could have room to work. **

**Boxey watched for a moment as the shuttle backed away, then turned back to the task at hand. He pulled a small blade from a pocket on the leg of his EVA suit and made an incision in the plastizine sheet. He cut down a short ways then pulled the sheet open and peered inside. What he saw was far from what he had expected!**

**The landing bay was in pristine condition! It was extremely dark inside, but enough light was able to seep in from Boxey's helmet lights for him to see that the bay had fared extremely well over the centuries. He pulled back from the plastizine sheet and turned toward the shuttle, giving a thumbs up signal.**

**In the pilot's seat aboard the shuttle, Starbuck watched as Boxey worked on the plastizine sheet. After a few moments, Boxey turned to the shuttle and gave them the thumbs up sign. This brought some whispers of excitement from the techs.**

"**Alright everyone, settle down." Starbuck said as he switched on his com unit. "Hey Boxey, how's it look?"**

"**Unbelievable Colonel!" he began. "It looks like we could begin flight ops right now. As far as I could tell, the place is in perfect condition.**

**Starbuck could not believe their good fortune. Hopefully the entire ship would be in as good a shape.**

"**That's good to hear. Can you make the hole for the shuttle by yourself or do you need and extra pair of hands?" Starbuck asked.**

"**I think I can handle it, but you might have someone stand by to help me close the opening." Boxey told him.**

"**Will do, you just be careful out there. I don't want to have to explain to your father why his son went floating off into space!" Starbuck joked.**

"**Affirmative!" was his only response.**

**Once again, Starbuck had to shake his head. He wondered if he would ever see the "old" Boxey again. Ever since the death of Commander Adama, Boxey had rarely, if ever smiled. His somber attitude had become a major concern for Apollo and Sheba over the yahren. **

**Boxey began cutting the plastizine sheet so as to make a hole for the shuttle to enter the landing bay, cutting it in a large semi-circle so it would be easier to close up once the shuttle was inside the landing bay. He had no problem making the cut in the weightlessness of space, as a matter of fact, it seemed to help as Boxey had to make the hole well over eight metrons high to accommodate the shuttle. After finishing the cut, Boxey pulled out one end of a small hose that was connected to an air tank slung to his back and opened up the nozzle on it. This sent out a strong jet of air that Boxey used to blow away the ever-present dust. After a few centons, he had cleared a space of perhaps thirty metrons in all directions of at least most of the dust. It was enough for Starbuck to easily see the opening and fly the shuttle thru without any trouble.**

**Once the shuttle had cleared the opening, Boxey began resealing the plastizine to keep the dust from working its way inside. By the time the shuttle had landed and the personnel inside began to emerge, Boxey had finished sealing the opening and was making his way over to them. **

"**Plastizine barrier sealed Colonel." Boxey reported.**

**Starbuck glanced back toward the huge white sheet and could just barely make out the place where the hole had been.**

"**Good, that should keep the dust out until we leave. Now lets see what we can find out about this old girl, shall we?" He said. "Boxey, I want you to take Kell and Trapp with you and the engineering team. Head for the engineering spaces and see what shape their in."**

"**Right Colonel, we'll see if we can get main power going and get the environmental systems up and running."**

"**Um, I wouldn't do that if I were you Captain!" Sabo said sheepishly.**

"**Is that so? And why is that?" Boxey asked irritably. **

"**Because if you don't follow the proper startup procedure, you could set off the "self-destruct" sequence." Sabo said defensively. **

"**Startup procedure? What startup procedure?" Starbuck interjected. **

**Sabo was once again amazed at the lack of knowledge amongst the senior officers of the fleet. Once again, Sabo took on the air off instructor as he explained.**

"**Many yahren ago, back during the early days of the war, the Cylons were in the habit of capturing the ships of their enemies and using them against the people that built them. It was a common practice of theirs to infiltrate their enemies defense's with these captured ships and launch attacks on the unsuspecting foe."**

**Starbuck, Boxey and the rest of the search team were all gathered around Sabo, listening intently to his story. Sabo had to force himself not to laugh as he continued.**

"**To keep this from happening to our forces, the designers of the various fleets began incorporating into the computer programming a specific procedure by which, if a ship was forced to shut down operations for any reason, that it could only be restarted by following a set order of procedures. That way, if the Cylons did get control of a ship that had been shut down, they would not be able to use it against the colonies."**

"**I've never heard of this startup felgercarb before! When did this all happen?" Starbuck asked.**

"**It started over eight hundred yahren ago and was used throughout the fleet until about a hundred and forty yahren ago. At that time, a newer system was introduced and replaced it." Sabo told him.**

"**So this baby here has the old "startup procedure", right?" Starbuck asked.**

"**Yes sir, I believe so!" Sabo answered.**

"**Do you know what this "startup procedure" is Sabo?" asked Boxey.**

"**Yes sir. I took the liberty of writing it down on these pads for everyone before we left the Galactica, just in case we needed it." Sabo said with a slight smile as he began handing the small, electronic pads out.**

"**Good job Cadet." Starbuck said as he took a pad from Sabo and began reading thru the information.**

"**This can't be right!" Boxey said. "You have communications and scanners before weapons, thrusters and life support. Why?"**

"**That's correct Captain. Think about it, if the Cylons were to try and restart one of our ships, what do you think would be the first thing they would try and get working?" Sabo asked. **

"**Most likely the thrusters and weapons!" Boxey offered.**

"**Exactly! That's why we have those systems down toward the bottom of the list. Because they wouldn't think about anything but getting the ship moving and ready to fight." Sabo said. **

"**But why this order?" Boxey said. "It doesn't make sense!" **

"**It's very simple Captain," Sabo explained. "You start with restoration of auxiliary power because it has such a low amount of voltons, it won't overload any systems that might be damaged. Once that's done, you restart the secondary computer system and run a ship wide system diagnostic to be sure there are no major problems that could cause a massive failure when you go to restore main power."**

"**What if you find something wrong?" asked a young technician named Brim. **

"**The computer will tell you if there are any major discrepancies and how to fix them. Once the repairs are made, you rerun the diagnostic until you get a satisfactory result." Sabo continued. "Then you go for a restart of the main energizers, but you have to be sure to increase the power slowly, or you could blow out the entire electrical system. Once those are up and running, then you bring the main computer core online. Once that's done you do another diagnostic to make sure that the computer is fully functional. If everything checks out, then you begin restoring the various operational systems in the order on the list."**

"**But why comm's and scanners before the other systems?" Boxey asked.**

"**That was part of the "thinking like a Cylon" theory they used." Sabo said. "The thought was to try and figure out what order the Cylons would try and restore things in and mix them up in as illogical a manner as possible. The programmers believed that the Cylons would go for the weapons and thrusters first, then scanners, communications and last of all, life support." **

"**So the programmers decided to put communications and scanners first and leave weapons and thrusters for later." Starbuck said. "But why is the last item life support?"**

"**It was believed that the Cylons might try and restore life support as soon as possible thinking that because humans need it, it would be a priority for us." Sabo told them. "It was hoped that the Cylons would not take into consideration that if we humans were trying to restart one of our ships, that we'd be in EVA suits and wouldn't need life support anymore then they would!"**

**This brought a round of understanding nods from everyone so, since it seemed that everyone understood now about the startup procedure, so Starbuck went back to issuing assignments.**

"**Okay, now that we're all clear about the startup procedure, Boxey, take your group and head for the engineering section. I'll take Sabo, Neel and the rest of the techs with me to the bridge. Stay in contact and give a yell if you find anything. Understand?"**

"**Yes sir!" Boxey said.**

"**Alright then, let's get moving. We only have six centars of air in these things and we've wasted ten centons already!"**

**With that, the two groups moved off in different directions.**

**As Starbuck's team moved thru the empty passageways of the ancient Battlestar, they became more and more enthralled by what they saw. Every work station and electrical panel had been covered by a sheet of plastizine, protecting them from the ravages of time. There was also a thin film of dust that seemed to cover everything. **

**Starbuck had to suppress a chuckle as he watched Sabo who was like a kid in a mushie shop as he almost ran from one thing to another, trying to look at everything at once. One thing Starbuck found interesting was that everything he saw was labeled not only in Colonial standard, but in what he believed was the ancient Scorpion tongue. There were also a large number of artworks attached to the bulkheads depicting scenes of great battles and of what Starbuck believed must have been former Commanders of the great war ship. Seeing all this was a bit humbling for the usually brash Warrior.**

**It was then that Starbuck noticed that Sabo had stopped in front of a large picture. As he approached, he could see that it was an image of two men, each holding the head of a Cylon centurion and brandishing large swords.**

"**Who are they?" He asked.**

**The young mans eyes never left the picture as he answered in a voice so soft, Starbuck could barely make out the words.**

"**Leonides and Dienekes." **

"**Who?"**

"**Commander Leonides and Commander Dienekes, Leonides was the Commander of the Second Fleet and the last of the Warrior-Kings of Scorpia. Dienekes was the last Commander of this Battlestar. They were two of the greatest Warriors of all time!" Sabo said with great reverence.**

**Starbuck stood for a moment staring at the image of the two men. In the background he could see the remains of hundreds of Cylons and the bodies of nearly as many Colonial Warriors. It was an eerie thing to look upon.**

"**What is this a picture of?" he asked Sabo.**

"**The Battle of Primaria." Sabo said, still enthralled by the picture.**

"**Primaria, I've heard of that. Wasn't that a planet in the Hasaris system?" Starbuck asked.**

"**Yes sir, it was one of their primary planets and the last one to fall." Sabo said, taking his eyes away from the picture for the first time, surprised that the Colonel had known that. "It was three hundred ninety nine yahren ago that the Second Colonial Fleet defeated a Cylon invasion fleet there."**

**Starbuck looked at the picture and remarked, "They look so young, how old were they?" **

"**Leonides was only forty or so at the time. Dienekes was only slightly older." Sabo told him, his eyes drifting back to the picture as he spoke. "This was taken three yahren before the Second Fleet disappeared and five yahren before the fall of Primaria." **

**Starbuck glanced at the young man and then placed his hand on his shoulder.**

"**C'mon kid, lets get moving. We have a lot of work to do."**

**Sabo nodded his head and slowly began walking down the corridor that led to the Carpathia's bridge. It only took a few centons to reach the bridge and once there, the technicians began looking over the equipment. They were amazed at the condition of work stations as they began unwrapping them. There was a slight covering of dust that had settled on most of the surfaces, most likely from a small breach in the plastizine somewhere as yet undetected. The technicians broke out small vacuum cleaners and began cleaning up the majority of the dust. **

**Sabo and Starbuck made there way up to the command dais and began inspecting the bridge officer's console. Like all the other surfaces they had encountered, it too was covered in dust. Sabo pulled a small brush from the bag he had been carrying and slowly sweep the dust away from one of the panels on the console. Then he pulled out a small knife and began to cut away the plastizine. Once he had exposed the panel, he pulled a small piece of equipment out of his bag and connected it to one of the ports. Instantly, the console came to life as, for the first time in nearly four centuries, power had been restored.**

"**HEY! What are you doing?" Starbuck said loudly as he saw the lights on the console come on.**

"**It's okay Colonel, this is an emergency power unit." Sabo told him. "I'm going to try and get the auxiliary power up and running."**

"**You can do that from here?" Starbuck asked.**

"**Yes sir, I can also get the secondary computer system online and run the diagnostic from here." Sabo told him as he entered several commands into the console keypad. "But they'll have to get main power online from engineering."**

"**How long will this take?" Starbuck asked.**

"**Not long, maybe, twenty or thirty centons." Sabo said as he watched the readouts that were now popping up on the monitor. "This will run thru its cycle and give us a full readout of any discrepancies it finds. I guess until it's done, there's nothing to do but explore!"**

"**Okay, what would you suggest we look at first?" Starbuck asked.**

**Sabo smiled slightly and motioned for Starbuck to follow. **

"**I know just the place Colonel!" he said as he began heading for a passageway that Starbuck had not noticed before. **

**It was a short passageway, hardly more then an alcove really, with only one hatchway in it. On the bulkhead next to the hatch was a small plaque, covered with dust. Sabo pulled out his brush again and sweep the plaque clean, revealing two sets of words. One set Starbuck couldn't read, but recognized as being Scorpion in nature. The second set of words were Colonial standard and these were crystal clear.**

"**Commander Dienekes"**

"**Is this the Commanders quarters?" Starbuck asked.**

"**Yes sir." Sabo said as he examined the small panel next to the hatch. He pulled out his knife and carefully cut away the plastizine, exposing a keypad. Sabo then pulled out a second power unit like the one he used on the bridge and plugged it into the keypad, lighting it up immediately. Then he took out a small electronic pad and began scrolling down thru the information on it. After a few microns, he found what he was looking for and punched in a twelve digit code on the keypad. As the last symbol was entered, there was a loud, grinding sound within the bulkheads as mechanical locks, undisturbed for centuries, began to release their hold on the metal door. As the last of the locks disengaged, a loud, hissing sound was heard and the dust at the foot of the hatch was displaced by a gust of air.**

"**Did you see that?" Sabo shouted excitedly. "There was still air inside there!"**

"**Well' that would explain why we could hear the locking mechanism." Starbuck said. "There wouldn't have been any sound had there been a total vacuum here."**

"**Well Colonel, would you like the honors?" Sabo asked as he stepped aside so that Starbuck could be the first one to enter the Commanders quarters.**

**Starbuck shook his head and smiled at the young man and said, "No, this is your expedition; you should have the honor of seeing it for the first time."**

**Sabo smiled back at Starbuck and nodded. Then he pushed open the hatch and stepped thru into the past.**

**He stopped just inside the hatchway and looked around the chamber. It was the commander's office by the looks of it. The ever-present dust they had seen everywhere, was totally absent from the room. It would seem that the seals on the commander's quarters had survived the ravages of time. Sabo could see a number of items in the darkness, a large desk, several chairs, pictures on the bulkheads, overall, a very Spartan room. He glanced down at the deck and could see that the dust just outside the hatch had been stirred up by the release of pressure and his movements, causing it to float into the room now that the seal had been broken. **

"**You know something Colonel, were the first humans to walk these passageways in nearly four hundred yahren." Sabo said with a touch of awe in his voice. **

"**Yea kid, kinda makes you wonder what happened to them, why they would leave all these ships behind?" Starbuck said from behind him.**

**Sabo nodded to himself and stepped farther into the compartment followed by Starbuck. They moved toward the center of the room, looking about as they made their way. The shelves on the bulkhead to the right of the hatch held a number of books and scrolls as well as other personnel items that the former commander had left behind for whatever reason. Sabo walked over to the shelves and looked at the books more closely. The majority of them were written in Scorpian or Sagittarian, but there were a few that were written in Colonial standard. It was a marvelous collection and one he would be sure to examine more closely once he had the chance.**

**Starbuck made his way to the private quarters of the former commander, hoping to find some clue as to what happened to the ships crew and the Second Fleet. He reached the hatch and found it was still sealed. He pulled one of the small power units from a pocket in the leg of his EVA suit and a blade from another pocket on his left arm. He cut away the plastizine around the keypad and inserted the power unit. The pad lit up and when he pressed the release, the hatch slide open smoothly.**

"**Looks like some of the doors in the old girl still work okay!" Starbuck said to himself.**

**He stepped thru into the dark room and was amazed at the condition. The bed was made up as if it had been done that very morning; eating utensils were put away in their holding racks, waiting for the next meal, uniforms were still hung in the closet. It looked as if the Commander might walk in at any moment. Starbuck was walking toward a chest of drawers when he heard Sabo yell in fear over the com unit.**

**Starbuck rushed into the outer office, laser pistol drawn, ready to face whatever it was that had frightened Sabo so badly. As he entered the room, he saw Sabo leaning on the desk, his head hung as if he was trying to control his breathing. Starbuck made his way over to the young man, still looking for what could have frightened him.**

"**What happened Sabo? What did you see?" Starbuck said.**

**Sabo couldn't speak, all he could do was point to a large set of doors behind him. Starbuck moved toward the doors cautiously, ready for anything …….. or so he thought! He reached up and took the handle of the door and quickly pulled it open. What he saw there made his heart skip a beat.**

**Inside the closet stood a Cylon centurion!**

**Starbuck immediately brought his laser pistol up and was about to fire when he noticed that the centurion did not move. He looked at the metal monstrosity standing before him and realized that it had been deactivated.**

"**Holy Frak!" Starbuck said as he closed the door to the cabinet. "What in Hades is that thing doing here?"**

"**A trophy." Sabo said, finally able to get his breathing under control. "The Scorpions use to take trophies from their victories. It would seem that Commander Dienekes partook of this." **

**Starbuck simply nodded and patted the young man on the shoulder. Sabo began to stand up straight when he noticed that there was a small folder sitting on the desk. He had not noticed it until just that moment. He picked up the small folder and read the cover. He gasped at what it said.**

"**Final personnel log of Commander Dienekes."**

"**Colonel, have a look at this!" He said holding the folder out to Starbuck.**

"**What's this?" Starbuck said, taking the folder and looking at it. Inside the folder, he found a small silver disk, an infodisk, with the words "Final Entry" written on it. **

"**This could be just the thing we need. There's probably information on this that will lead us right to the survivors of the Second Fleet. We'll take this back to the Galactica." Starbuck said as he placed the folder in Sabo's bag. "Take good care of that Sabo."**

"**Yes sir, I won't let it out of my site." He said.**

"**Good, now let's head back to the bridge and see if that diagnostic thing of yours is done." **

**When Starbuck and Sabo arrived back on the bridge, they found Captain Boxey and Chief Engineer Vitron waiting there. Vitron was a short, stocky Leo who had joined the Colonial service over fifty yahren before the holocaust and had served as the Chief Engineer aboard the Galactica for the past eighteen. Starbuck went over to speak with them while Sabo checked on his diagnostic scan.**

"**Tell me you have good news!" Starbuck said expecting the worse.**

"**Well Colonel, it could be a whole lot worse!" Vitron said with a smile. "We did a complete check of all the primary systems and found only one major problem ….. this old tub has no fuel!"**

**Starbuck looked at him dumbfounded. **

"**What do you mean no fuel" he said.**

"**Yep, not a drop! Whenever these folks abandoned this ship, they drained the fuel cells dry." Vitron told him. "I'll bet all the other ships in this frakkin cloud are the same way!"**

"**Great! What about the rest of the engineering section? Is everything else okay?" Starbuck asked the engineer. **

"**From what I could tell, this ship is in perfect condition. This plastizine felgercarb did a great job of keeping this frakkin dirt out of the electronics." Vitron said. "I'd be willin to wager a sectar's pay that I could have this tub up and runnin in less then a secton once we get the energizers back online and the atmospheric systems going so we don't have to keep walkin around in these damn EVA suits!" **

**Starbuck let out a bit of a chuckle at the engineer's comments. He too thought it would be of great advantage to get the life support system online, but Sabo had said that they would have to follow the "startup protocol" or the ship could blow itself up. It was then that Sabo walked over with his report.**

"**Excuse me, Colonel. I have the results of the diagnostic scan."**

"**Really! And what does it say?" Starbuck asked expecting some sort of bad news.**

"**Well, the scan shows a couple of minor discrepancies, but nothing too serious. I think we can continue the startup procedure right away if you like." Sabo said happily. **

**Starbuck turned to Vitron and asked, "What do you think Chief? You and your people ready to get this old girl operational?"**

"**Vitron smiled broadly and said, "You bet your ass I am Colonel. You just give the word!"**

**Starbuck gave him one of his signature grins and said "Consider the word given!"**

**And so the startup procedure continued. The relief teams landed a short time later and were given the task of getting the energizers and main computer core online and then running the system diagnostic. Doctor Wilker was in charge of the technicians while Major Deitra was in command of the Warrior contingent. Starbuck, Boxey, Sabo and the rest of the first group boarded their shuttle and departed for the Galactica and some well deserved rest. All except for Starbuck, who still had to make his report to Commander Apollo. Once the shuttle landed and the techs and Warriors were dismissed, Starbuck made his way to the bridge. **

**Starbuck entered the bridge and found Apollo and Boomer on the command dais discussing the latest patrol reports. Apollo saw his friends rumpled and sweat stained uniform and the haggard look on his face and knew that it had been a very long day for him. To his credit, he did greet them with one of his usual warm, friendly smiles.**

"**Well what do you want first? The good news or the bad?" He asked.**

**Apollo and Boomer exchanged a glance then Apollo asked, "Might as well get the bad news out of the way first!"**

"**The bad news is that the dust from that cloud is everywhere on the Carpathia. Luckily everything was covered in plastizine, so ……" **

"**Covered in what?" Boomer asked.**

"**Plastizine, it's a kind of film covering that the crew put on all the panels and consoles to preserve them." Starbuck said as if he had known about the substance forever instead of having learned about it only seven centars before. "Anyway, with all that dust inside the ship, Chief Vitron is afraid it will get into the electronics and foul them up, so he wants to move the Carpathia out of the cloud before we initiate the restart sequence."**

**Apollo and Boomer exchanged another glance before Apollo asked the question they both were thinking.**

"**And just exactly how does the Chief expect us to move the Carpathia?"**

"**Yea, well ah; actually he suggested that we tow it out of the cloud." Starbuck said. **

"**Tow a Battlestar! Is he crazy?" Boomer asked, not believing what he was hearing. "How in Kobol does he expect use to do it? We don't have any space tugs in the fleet."**

"**The only ship powerful enough to tow a Battlestar is a Battlestar, so that would mean using the Galactica to do it." Apollo mused aloud. "I don't think I'd be willing to risk damaging the Galactica to tow the Carpathia out of the cloud. Why can't we just fly her out?" **

"**Well, besides the fact that we can't uncover any of the control panels without that dust getting inside and fouling em up, the Carpathia doesn't have a drop of tylium in her fuel cells. Without that, we won't be able to get the thrusters up and running."**

"**We can't fly her out and we can't tow her. Seems we have a bit of a problem here." Apollo said.**

"**We could use shuttles to haul the towing cables into the cloud." Boomer suggested. "We could have them attach the cables to the Carpathia, then fly out of the cloud trailing them behind until they reach the Galactica. Then we hook them up to the Galactica and tow her out."**

"**That might work, so long as there are no other ships in the way." Apollo said. Then to Starbuck he asked, "Do you know if there are any ships obstructing the path out of the cloud?"**

"**Just the Aegis, but it's a good thousand metrons or so in front of the Carpathia so we should be able to pull it out right underneath." Starbuck told him.**

"**Alright, lets give it a try then." Apollo said. "Starbuck, you take care of the shuttles and the towing cables. Boomer you take care of the hook up on this end. I want you to make sure that if there's a problem; we can disconnect the towing cables and get clear."**

"**Will do Apollo." Boomer said.**

**Boomer and Starbuck left the bridge to make the arrangements for the attempted towing.**

**A centar later, everything was in place and ready for them to attempt to tow the ancient Battlestar clear of the dust cloud that had held it prisoner for nearly four hundred yahren. Starbuck would fly one of the shuttles while Ensign Uhle and Lieutenant's Rader and Quinn flew the other three.**

**Each of the shuttles was equipped with a huge spool of thick cable which would be connected to the forward section of the Carpathia and then hauled back to the Galactica where it could be attached. Once the two ships were connected, the Galactica would slowly begin the tedious task of pulling its older cousin out of the cloud. If all went well, the Carpathia would emerge within a centar after nearly four centuries. **

**The four shuttles made their way into the cloud assisted by the "super scanners" of Ensign Nagy's Viper. Once they had reached the Carpathia, it took a maximum effort for them to hook the monstrous cables, each one as big around as a large mans leg, to the towing ports on the forward section of the ship. Even though the cables were made of an ultra-light, ultra-strong tritainium alloy, they were extremely heavy due to their extraordinary length. So flying the overburdened shuttles was a difficult task at best. After what seemed like a centar, all four cables were finally hooked up to the Carpathia and were now unreeled toward the waiting Galactica.**

**Apollo had the Galactica moved into a position just a few thousand metrons from the dust cloud in anticipation of the arrival of the shuttles. This whole operation did not set well with him, but he could come up with no other viable way of pulling the Carpathia out of the dust cloud, so they would have to risk using the Galactica. Chief Vitron had assured him that it would be perfectly safe and that no harm would come to the Galactica, but Apollo still had his doubts.**

**The shuttles finally emerged from the cloud hauling the enormous cables behind them, looking like huge serpents. One shuttle, that flown by Starbuck, continued to approach while the other three held their positions five hundred metrons aft of the Galactica. He flew the shuttle to the pre-determined attachment point along the port side of the primary hull and with the skill born of thousands upon thousands of centars of piloting the various craft of the fleet, Starbuck brought his ship to within a metron of the attachment point.**

**This made Boxey's and Vitron's job of hooking up the cables much easier. The two men were wearing magnetic boots that helped them move along the hull and perform the task of hooking the cables to the Galactica. With the first one done the two men made their way to the next attachment point while Starbuck moved off slowly to a safe distance to observe the operation. **

**The next two cables were connected without any problem, but the last one turned out to be a bit more troublesome. It was the shuttle flown by Lieutenant Quinn that for some unknown reason had lost its helm control. Quinn was able to fly forward but was unable to steer the shuttle into position.**

"**Colonel, I have no helm control here." Quinn told Starbuck. "I still have main thrusters but the maneuvering thrusters won't work."**

"**Frak!" Starbuck exclaimed loudly as he heard the report from Quinn. "Alright, here's what we're going to do. I want you to pull your shuttle up even with the attachment point. When you get in position, I'll use my shuttle to push you into position."**

"**Are you sure that's safe Colonel?" Quinn asked, not sure about Starbucks plan.**

"**Sure, safer then fighting Cylons anyway!" Starbuck said as he began moving his shuttle into position.**

"**I'll have to take your word on that Colonel. I've been in the Colonial service for twelve yahren and haven't seen a Cylon yet." Quinn said.**

"**Trust me kid, you don't want to!" Starbuck told him.**

**Once Quinn's shuttle was in position, Starbuck moved in slowly to push Quinn toward the Galactica. There was only the slightest thud and an almost unperceivable jostling aboard either shuttle as contact was made. The two craft slow began to move closer to the spot where Boxey and Vitron stood on the hull of the Galactica watching, neither of them believing what Starbuck was doing. After just a few light touches of the thrusters, Starbuck reversed the trust on his shuttle and the two ships separated. Inertia from the slight push from Starbuck's shuttle sent Quinn's shuttle slowly floating into position right where it was needed. Both Boxey and Vitron shook their heads in amazement as they witnessed the incredible skill with which Starbuck had executed the nearly impossible maneuver.**

**Once the last cable was attached and Quinn's shuttle was towed aboard the Galactica, all was in readiness for the attempted towing. **

"**Alright, let's give this a shot!" Apollo said. "Boomer, I want you to monitor the cables on the Galactica. If the hull stress even comes close to the red zone, cut the Carpathia loose, understood?" **

"**Will do. Do you have someone on the Carpathia watching things from their end?" Boomer asked.**

"**Yea, I have four teams on the Carpathia watching the cable connections and one on the bridge monitoring the hull stress. I also have Ensign Nagy out there providing imagery from his scanners so we don't drag the Carpathia into the Aegis or any other ship that might be out there." **

**Apollo turned to Major Omega and asked him to put him on the Unicom.**

"**Attention people of the fleet, this is Commander Apollo. We are about to attempt to tow the Battlestar Carpathia out of the dust cloud. Because there is some risk involved in this, I have ordered that all ships stay no less then one hundred kilometrons away from the Galactica until such time as we have deemed it safe to approach. Because of the significance of this event to all of us, I have granted permission for the IFB to set up there vidcom units aboard one of our shuttles near the action so that they can transmit the events about to take place for all to see. Thank you for your cooperation. Galactica out!"**

**With that announcement made, Apollo switched over to the Blue Squadron frequency to finalize the preparations.**

"**All units, this is Commander Apollo. Stand by to commence towing."**

**All the various units acknowledged and so Apollo gave the order to begin. **

"**Helm, ahead slow, maneuvering thrusters only. I want to get the slack out of the towing cables." Apollo ordered. "As soon as we have a strain on the cables, bring the maneuvering thrusters slowly up to full."**

"**Yes sir, ahead slow, maneuvering thruster's only." the helmsman repeated.**

**The Galactica slowly began to move forward, powered by dozens of powerful thrusters. In a matter of microns, the slack in the towing cables was gone and they know began to take a strain. **

"**Slack has been taken up sir, increasing thrusters to full power." the helmsman called out.**

**Apollo nodded to the man and then opened up the Blue Squadron frequency again.**

"**Apollo to all units, stand by, we're increasing to full power."**

**There was a slight "jerking" sensation at first as the helmsman slowly increased the power to the thrusters. For several microns, the mighty Battlestar shook and bulkheads creaked, as the strain increased. The Galactica stood still for several microns, her thrusters now at full power fighting to push her forward. Then she started to move forward again. Slowly at first, very slowly, but after nearly a centon, the powerful thrusters began to win the battle with the massive vessel. **

**The cables began to stretch and creak as the strain on them increased. Those personnel that were assigned to monitor the cables watched this in fascination. They were amazed at the load factors that were showing on their instruments, finding it hard to believe that the cables could hold under such extreme force.**

"**Helm, alter course by ten degrees negative inclination." Apollo called out.**

"**Negative ten degrees acknowledged." the helmsman repeated.**

**The Galactica continued its slow forward progress as it started to move in a downward direction from its previous inclination. **

"**Nagy, what's it looking like on your scanners?" Apollo asked.**

"**Everything looks good from here sir. The Carpathia should clear the Aegis by at least a hundred metrons." He reported.**

"**I want at least two hundred metrons clearance." Apollo said. "Helm, increase to twenty degrees negative inclination."**

"**Increasing to twenty degrees negative sir."**

**The Galactica increased the angle of incline as it continued to move forward.**

"**Nagy to Galactica, clearance has increased to two hundred forty metrons."**

"**Excellent! Continue to monitor until the Carpathia has cleared the cloud."**

"**Will do Commander."**

**Apollo switched frequencies again to the Delta frequency he had set up between the Galactica and the Carpathia, where Starbuck was watching the progress of the operation.**

"**Galactica to Carpathia, how's it going Starbuck?"**

"**Well all things considered, I'd rather be in my Viper watching this show from out there." He told Apollo.**

"**What's wrong Starbuck, you don't like walking the bridge of a Battlestar?" Apollo joked.**

"**It wouldn't be too bad if I could at least see what was happening!" Starbuck said. "But standing here in the dark wearing one of these EVA suits isn't exactly what I call fun! How long before you drag us out of this felgercarb?"**

**Just as he finished that statement he got his answer as for the first time in nearly four hundred yahren, the Battlestar Carpathia emerged from the confines of the dust cloud and sailed into the vastness of open space.**

"**Holy Frak!" Starbuck whispered.**

**Throughout the fleet, a cheer of excitement sprang up as the IFB broadcast was seen by nearly every member of the fleet. It was a glorious site to behold as the ancient warship glided out of the cloud and into the open. **

**On the bridge of the Galactica, applauds and shouts of triumph rang out as well. Apollo turned to Boomer and the two Warriors clasped wrists in the traditional Warriors hand shake. Both smiled widely, both from joy and relief that everything had gone off so smoothly. But the operation was not over yet.**

**Apollo turned back to the view screen that showed the Carpathia floating along behind them. She was a magnificent site to behold. The ravages of time didn't seem to have affected this behemoth of a past era.**

"**Helm, reverse thrusters." Apollo ordered.**

**The helmsman reversed the mighty thrusters causing the great ship to slow its forward progress. This caused the towing cables to slacken some.**

"**Omega, release towing cables." ordered Apollo.**

**Omega acknowledged the order and with the touch of a few buttons, the four massive cables that connected the two Battlestars were released. **

"**Helm, come around to five two nine Beta by zero seven six Tao. Bring us to within one thousand metrons of her port quarter." **

**The Galactica swung around to the left in a full circle and slide in to a position just off the left side of the Carpathia. Apollo switched back to the Delta frequency where he heard Starbuck giving orders to the various teams aboard the old ship.**

"**Hey Starbuck, is everything alright over there?" he asked.**

"**Everything's just grand!" Starbuck told him. "I'm just working on getting this thing operational. First thing I want to do is get these damn cables off the hull!"**

**Apollo chuckled at Starbucks frustration. He had seen this many times before with his old friend, always wanting things done ten centons ago. **

"**Keep your shirt on Starbuck, I already have the shuttles moving in to spool the cables. They should have them cleared in about forty centons or so."**

"**Alright, I guess that will do!" Starbuck stewed. "Hey listen, unless you have any objections, I'm going to go ahead and have the techs continue with the startup." **

"**Excellent, as soon as you get that going, I'd like for you and Sabo to come back aboard the Galactica. I want to go over Jolly's report with the senior staff. Evidently, Nagy's scanners found quite a bit more then we thought." Apollo said.**

"**Sounds good to me! It'll be nice to get out of this felgercarb for a while. We'll be there in a centar." Starbuck said.**

**A centar later in the Galactica's war room, the senior staff had assembled to review the findings from the search of the dust cloud by Jolly, Greenbean, and Nagy and that of Starbuck, Boxey, Vitron and Sabo aboard the Carpathia. Among those in attendance other then the senior staff were President Tigh, Siress Tinia, Chief engineer Vitron, Lieutenant Nagy and Cadet Sabo.**

**Apollo entered the room followed by President Tigh, Siress Tinia, Boomer and Starbuck. They all took seats at the head of the table and Apollo began the proceedings.**

"**First I'd like to thank President Tigh and Siress Tinia for joining us here today. I know they, like all of us have a great many questions. I hope that we'll be able to give you both the answers you desire."**

"**Thank you Commander, I'm sure you will!" Tigh said.**

**Apollo turned to Major Jolly first.**

"**Jolly, you were in command of the Team searching the cloud for more ships, what did you find?"**

**Jolly stood and picked up an electronic notepad from the table.**

"**Captain Greenbean, Ensign Nagy and myself began our search using the Carpathia as our starting point and made a sweeping search of the cloud for a distance of approximately one quarter parsec. In addition to the Carpathia and the Aegis, we discovered a total of thirty seven vessels of various types; these included two Battlestars, five Gunstars, two Star Carriers, five Battle Cruisers, eight Destroyers, seven Frigates and seven Brigantines. Of these, perhaps half are in salvageable condition."**

"**Two more Battlestars! Five Gunstars! Star Carriers, Battle Cruisers …… Lords of Kobol, it's an entire fleet!" Tigh said almost gleefully. "Were you able to identify any of them Major?"**

"**No sir, but we did get some very good scans of each and every one of them. Hopefully Cadet Sabo will be able to identify them."**

"**You said only about half of them are salvageable." Apollo said. "Can you tell us which ships these are Jolly?"**

**Jolly ran thru the information on his electronic pad and began to read off a short list of ships.**

"**From what we could tell from the scans, we believe that both of the Battlestars are salvageable as well as two or three of the Gunstars."**

**This brought some very positive comments from the others at the table. Jolly continued.**

"**We also believe that two of the Cruisers and maybe four or five of the Destroyers can be salvaged. The rest of the ships we found had numerous hull breaches and in some cases, they were missing entire sections of their hulls. Those were in too poor a condition to be of use for anything more then perhaps spare parts."**

"**What do you think caused the damage to those ships Jolly?" asked Boomer.**

"**As far as we could tell, they looked as if they had been hit by meteors or possibly asteroids. There were large fragments of various minerals detected in most of the hull breaches we found."**

"**How difficult do you think it will be for us to tow them out of the cloud, given their present locations?" Apollo asked.**

"**Most of them won't be that big a problem Commander." Jolly told him. "There are only a couple that are blocked in by non-salvageable ships."**

"**Maybe we can use the lasers on our Vipers to cut a path thru the damaged ships?" Sheba said, the first time she had spoken since the briefing began.**

"**I wouldn't advise that course of action!" Chief Vitron said quickly. "That there cloud has high concentrates of Therminite and Korium, both highly explosive elements when exposed to extreme levels of heat, such as laser fire. You go shootin them there lasers in that cloud and you're likely to set off one Hades of an explosion!" **

"**What would you suggest Chief?" Apollo asked. **

"**Simple, we tow them ships we can salvage out one by one, the rest we leave behind!"**

"**You want to leave perfectly good ships behind?" Sheba said incredulously. "Why?"**

"**I'll give one very good reason young lady!" Vitron said in his deep, Leonis accent, causing Apollo and some of the others to snicker slightly. "There be too great a risk trying to pull those tubs out. Most likely we'd lose more ships trying to pull them out then we'd gain by leavin em behind! Besides, we don't have enough trained people to run that many ships anyway!"**

"**You're kidding me! There are over three hundred thousand adults in the fleet Chief, all of which have gone thru basic Warrior training. You can't tell me there aren't enough people to man a dozen or so ships!" Sheba argued heatedly. **

"**Well, you might be right if all of those ships out there were as modern as the Galactica Major, but were talking about ships that were hundreds of yahren old when the Galactica's keel was being laid." The Chief said, his voice rising to meet the anger heard in Sheba's. "Those old girls are ancient, and their technology is centuries out of date. It will take two to three times as many people to operate one of those old Battlestars as it does the Galactica. Add to that the fact that many of the systems used on those ships haven't been used by the colonies for centuries, so that means training people to operate them. And if that wasn't enough, throw on top of that the fact that everything on those damn ships is labeled in Scorpion! Can you read Scorpion Major? **

**Sheba said nothing. She just stared in disbelief at the Chief as he stood there and berated her.**

"**I didn't think so!" Vitron continued. "Let me tell you something, unless you're going to learn to read Scorpion and want modernize each and every one of those ships, I'd strongly suggest you listen to those that know better!"**

**Sheba didn't say a word. She was totally speechless. The old Chief had told her in no uncertain terms that she had no idea what she was talking about and should shut her mouth! But what made it worse was …… he was right!**

**Vitron turned to Apollo and said to him, "I'm sorry to have been so short with the Major sir, but what she was suggesting was foolish and would have placed the entire fleet in danger. If you have a mind to bring me up on charges, I'll not contest them sir."**

**Apollo glanced at Sheba for a moment, she still hadn't said a word, she just sat there looking as if she had been slapped in the face, then he looked back to the Chief engineer and said to him.**

"**Under normal circumstances Chief, I would prefer charges of insubordination, but in this instance, I'm inclined to overlook this one incident." Apollo told the old Warrior. "This whole thing has gotten us all a bit tense. I think we all need to take a deep breath and relax."**

**The Chief simply nodded his head and gave him a nearly unperceivable, "Yes sir."**

**Then, before the mood grew any gloomier, Apollo turned to Starbuck.**

"**How are things going on the Carpathia? Do you think you can get it up and running soon?" **

"**The Chief thinks he can have her fully operational in a secton!" Starbuck replied. **

"**Excellent, that will be a tremendous boost to our people's morale!" Apollo said.**

**Starbuck leaned back in his seat, turning back and forth slowly, his usual smile firmly in place.**

"**Yea, things could have been a whole lot worse I guess. The Carpathia's crew wrapped everything in that plastizine felgercarb so all the ships electronics are in great shape. From what Chief Vitron and Cadet Sabo could tell, the only thing she really needs is fuel."**

**Everyone at the table smiled at this piece of good news. Perhaps fortune would smile on them this one time.**

"**That is good news, anything else?" Apollo asked.**

**Starbuck leaned forward and pulled a small, silver disk from a small folder that had been sitting on the table in front of him. He held it between two fingers.**

"**Just this!"**

"**What's that?" Apollo asked, staring at the disk.**

"**Oh nothing really, just the final log entry from Commander Dienekes." Starbuck said with an impish grin.**


	14. A Voice From The Past

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter 14**

**A Voice from The Past**

**Everyone fell silent as Starbuck held the small, silver disc for all to see. It was several microns before any of them could regain their voices. It was Apollo that was first to speak.**

"**Commander Dienekes, are you sure?" He asked in a hushed tone.**

**Starbuck almost laughed at the expressions on the faces of those that sat around the table in the "war room", but instead he just kept smiling and nodded his head. He handed the disk over to Apollo, who looked at it in awe. Then Starbuck told them how he and Sabo had found the small disk in the folder on the former Commanders desk, leaving out the part about Sabo nearly having a heart attack when he saw the "dead" Cylon in the cabinet behind the desk, a fact that the young Cadet was very grateful for.**

"**So what does the disk say?" asked Sheba as she watched Apollo examine it.**

"**I don't know, I didn't play it." Starbuck said. "I thought it would be best if Apollo and Boomer were present when it was played for the first time. You never know what kinds of top secret information might be on that thing."**

"**You were right not to play it without Commander Apollo being here Colonel" Siress Tinia said. "I also think that perhaps the council should be here as well, just in case there are any issues that arise from this log that they should have a need to know about."**

"**Since the Carpathia was a war ship Siress, I would have to disagree with you on that point." Apollo said to the councilperson. "The information recorded on this disk could be of a very sensitive nature and not for those outside the highest levels of the Warrior service."**

**Then to the President he said, "Mister President, I think the log disk should be heard by the senior Warrior staff first, then, if there is anything of strictly military significances, we can delete it from the disk and copy the rest for the council to hear."**

**Tigh thought about this for a moment then slowly nodded his head and replied, "I agree with Apollo. We will limit access to the information on the disk to the senior staff, myself, and Siress Tinia for now."**

"**Sir, I don't mean to be rude to the Siress, but why do you wish to include her in this?" Apollo asked.**

"**I feel we should include Siress Tinia because as you well know, the Second Fleet was made up primarily of Warriors from the planet Scorpia, including Commander Dienekes, and as the council representative from Scorpia, I think it is only right that she be in attendance when we first listen to this record."**

**Apollo exchanged a glance with Boomer then nodded his head.**

"**Agreed sir." **

**Then to the rest of those in attendance, Apollo said, "At this time I'd like to thank you all for your reports and all the hard work you've done in getting the Carpathia out of the cloud. I don't need to remind any of you that everything you've heard here is not to be discussed outside this room. At this time I ask that the senior staff stand fast while the rest of you are dismissed."**

**With that, all those present, except the members of the senior staff and the two council members departed. After the doors to the chamber closed and were secured, Apollo placed the small infodisk into the disk player built into the table. A moment later, the image of a man sitting behind a desk appeared on the large screen on the wall. Starbuck immediately recognized the room as the Commanders quarters.**

**He was perhaps fifty or so yahren of age with long, black hair and piercing black eyes. He also wore a beard and mustache that were equally as dark as his hair. His face was cold and stern and the uniform he wore was of the ancient Scorpion design, not that of the Colonial Service. Thou it was hard to tell from the view provided, he appeared to be somewhat shorter then the average Colonial Warrior of the present day, but was extremely well built with very thick arms, which were bare from the shoulder down.**

**He sat very rigidly, as if what he was doing was uncomfortable for him or he didn't want to do it at all. A voice from some unseen person could faintly be heard, causing the cold black eyes to flare to life with an angry fire. It was only there for a micron, but there was no mistaking the fact that it had been there. Then after another brief moment, the man behind the desk began to speak in heavily accented Colonial standard.**

"**I am Commander Dienekes, commanding officer of the Colonial Battlestar Carpathia and vice-commander of the Colonial Second Fleet. I sit here before these witnesses to record my final log entry as commander of this great vessel and to leave a record of why it is we now leave the bulk of our battle fleet hidden away in this strange cloud of dust."**

"**The reason for this drastic measure is quite simple …… we do not have the resources to continue operating a fleet of this size. Without a viable supply of tylium, we have less then a sectars worth of fuel. By leaving the bulk of our battle fleet behind, keeping only the Battlestars Spartica and Arcadia along with our support ships, it is our hope that we will be able to stretch the remaining fuel we have in our tankers long enough to find a planet with enough tylium so we can return and reclaim them."**

"**At this time, Commander Leonides has ordered that all fuel, all Scarab and Cobra fighters, all solinite missiles, and all food supplies be transferred from those ships being left behind to the Spartica and Arcadia, as well as those tankers, support and supply ships that will continue on with us during the search for our home worlds. Once this has been accomplished, we will move the fleet into the cloud where it is our hope that they will remain undetected until our return."**

"**Those ships being left behind are the Battlestars Carpathia, Corinthia and Octavia, Gunstars Chimaera, Chiron, Chrysaor, Echidna, and Typhoeus, Battle Cruisers Aegis, Egidon, Grungir, Istvan, and Mjollnir, Star Carriers Daemon and Kaj, Destroyers Antiphates, Cetus, Charon, Cottus, Gyes, Kirkor, Kratos and Runihura, Frigates Athanasius, Corydon, Endre, Kolya, Obiareus, Peledon and Zetas, and the Brigantines Alyosha, Colum, Elek, Gregos, Klassr, Leski and Oles."**

"**As for where we are heading, that is a matter of security that I am not at liberty to divulge. What I can tell you is this, if you are from the Colonies, you should look for us along the course you would take if you were going to Primaria from Scorpia during the Festival of Kobol. If you know of that which I refer, then you will be able to follow our trail and you will also know how to retrieve the logs from this vessels computer banks and learn how we came to be here."**

**Dienekes leaned forward and in a very stern voice, he made a most chilling statement.**

"**If you are not a member of the Second Fleet or from the Colonies, then let it be known that you are trespassing on Colonial property. The attempted theft of any of these vessels will be met with the direst of consequences."**

**This last statement was said in a tone that left no doubt that the speaker was dead serious. Then Dienekes leaned back in his seat and continued.**

"**It is my profound hope that someday, in the very near future, I will be able to return to this place and reclaim the Carpathia, but for now, it is in the best interest of the fleet that we leave her and the rest of these vessels behind until such time as we are able to return. But know this; he who sits upon the throne of Scorpia survives, as does the Second Colonial Fleet! End recording."**

**The lights automatically brightened in the room as the screen went dark, the message having ended. The twelve people that had sat and watched the short recording sat in silence, each involved in their own thoughts. Apollo looked around the table, not knowing quite what to say. The recording answered some of their questions, but it also raised a good deal more of them.**

"**Well Apollo, what now?" asked President Tigh.**

**Apollo thought about it for a moment then replied in a very low, measured voice.**

"**First thing we do is pull those ships out of that dust cloud and get them operational."**

"**And then?"**

"**Then we go looking for the rest of the Second Fleet!" **


	15. The New Fleet

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**The New Fleet**

**It took nearly two full sectars to retrieve the eleven ships that were deemed salvageable by Colonel Starbuck and Chief Vitron. There were several others that may have been saved, but their position in the cloud made any attempt to recover them unfeasible. After several meetings with his senior staff, Apollo decided that the twelve ships they had recovered would be sufficient to accommodate their growing population for the next few decades. **

**This did not however stop Chief Vitron and his salvage teams from stripping every viable piece of equipment they could from those ships being left behind. He was able to salvage a score of energizers of various sizes, a dozen turbodynes, and nearly two hundred laser generators ranging in size from those used in fighters to the huge laser cannons of the Gunstars. Nothing that was of any value was left behind.**

**Doctor Wilker and his electronics techs had done the same thing with the electronics of the old ships of the Second Fleet, thou there was far less of value in this area due to the fact that most of the operating systems of the fleet were so outdated. They did however manage to access the ships computers and the ships logs from almost every vessel, thus supplying Cadet Sabo with a veritable gold mine of information to go thru and add to the Fleet archives. **

**Even after the ships had been pulled free of their dusty prison, it would require a good bit of work to get them back in serviceable order, thou this was made much easier by the excellent preservation work done by the former crews of the Second Fleet. With crews working around the chronometer, it took almost three full sectons to get each of the twelve vessels up and running.**

**Now came the task of designating who would command each of the old warships!**

"**Hey Boomer, wait up!" Starbuck yelled to his friend as he rounded the corner on his way to the "war room". **

"**Hurry up then, I don't want to be late." Boomer said as Starbuck jogged up to him. "Do you have your list of recommendations finished?"**

"**Sure do." Starbuck said with his usual light attitude. "I finished them up this morning. You know Boomer; I never realized how many people you needed to make up a command staff until now. I sure don't envy you and Apollo, having to pick the final crews for the new fleet."**

"**Yea, well don't count your blessings yet old buddy, I have a feeling that you'll be sitting right there with us, after all, you'll have to choose all the new strike wing and squadron leaders as well as giving them their new designations."**

**Starbucks easy going smile was quickly replaced by a frown at hearing this.**

"**Frak! I hadn't thought of that." He said "Maybe Apollo will let the new Commanders choose their own leaders and designations?"**

"**I doubt it." Boomer said with a smirk as they arrived at the "war room".**

**As they entered, they found that they were the last members of the senior staff to arrive …… as usual!**

"**Starbuck! Boomer! I'm so glad you could make it!" Apollo said sarcastically as the two tardy Warriors took their seats. "Now that we're all here, we can get down to the business of choosing command crews for the twelve new ships of the fleet and decide which ships of the present fleet we're going to leave behind." **

"**I asked some of you to go over the personnel records of those people you thought would be best suited for positions of command. If you have your recommendations completed, I ask you know to place them into the computer interface and download your recommendations."**

**Boomer, Starbuck, Sheba, Omega, Bojay and President Tigh each took out a disk and placed it into the small computer interface on the table before them. The computer downloaded the information from the disks and recorded the recommendations for Apollo's review. Once this was completed, Apollo thanked them all for their hard work and dismissed Sheba, Bojay and Omega, retaining Boomer, Starbuck and President Tigh to begin organizing the new fleet.**

**After nearly two full days of deliberations, the senior officers of the fleet had finally come up with what they believed to be the best possible plan for the new fleet.**

"**I'm sure glad that that's over with!" Starbuck said as he stood up from his chair for the first time in six centars. He stretched one way then the other, trying to get the knots out of his muscles.**

"**We're not done yet Starbuck." Apollo said as he too stood up to try and work out a few kinks. **

"**What do you mean, "We're not done"?" Starbuck asked. We just spent the last two days going over what ships to keep and which ones to leave behind, who was going to command each ship, who was going to lead what squadrons, what else is there?"**

"**Now we have to start notifying everyone of their new assignments and start moving people onto their new ships." Apollo told him. "Boomer, you'll be in charge of billeting and housing. Starbuck, you'll coordinate the fleet's shuttles for all transfers of material and personnel." **

"**Yea ah but, who's going to take care of the squadrons if I'm doing all this other felgercarb?" Starbuck asked, not wanting to get involved with moving people around the fleet.**

"**Sheba will handle the strike wing for the time being." Apollo said, knowing where Starbuck was heading with his question. "After all, she's going to have to get use to it!"**

"**Yea, I guess you're right." Starbuck finally gave in.**

"**Good, now that that's settled, let's call all the new ship commanders together and start handing out their new assignments." Apollo said.**

**Two centars later, most of the senior officers of the fleet had gathered in the war room of the Galactica waiting to find out why they had been summoned. There were a few that knew the reason for this meeting, or at least thought they did, but most had no idea what was about to transpire. **

**It was at this time that the hatch slide open and President Tigh entered the room followed by the members of the Council of the Twelve. All those present stood as the council members took seats along the wall near the head of the table that dominated the room. A short time later, the hatch slide open again, admitting Apollo, Boomer, and Starbuck. These three walked to the head of the table and took their seats. Apollo picked up a small gavel and rapped it on the table three times, calling the meeting to order.**

"**I'd like to thank you all for being here today and I'd like to give special thanks to President Tigh and the members of the council for joining us here on this very important occasion." Apollo began. "As you all know, we have been working around the chronometer to repair and ready the ships formerly of the Second Fleet for our own use. It has been a long and arduous endeavor, but at long last, the end is well within site. I am informed by Colonel Boomer and Colonel Starbuck that we should be ready to begin transferring personnel to those ships within the next secton."**

**This brought a round of applause from the assembled group. Apollo raised a hand to quiet the people down so he could continue.**

"**Before we can do this however, we must appoint command staffs for each of the new vessels. For the past few days, my senior staff and I, with the assistance of President Tigh, have been working on the staffing assignments for the new ships. And so, we are here today to hand out not only the new assignments, but for most, promotions befitting your new stations and duties."**

**The room began to buzz with the excited chatter of those in attendance. Once again, Apollo raised his hand to quiet the crowd, then he began to read off the assignments.**

"**The following officers will assume command of the five Destroyers. Major Greenbean, you will assume command of the Antiphates. Major Athena, the Cetus, Captain Barton, the Charon, Captain Brie, the Gyes, and Captain Cree, the Kratos." **

**The crowd began to applaud, then were once again quieted by Apollo as he continued.**

"**With these commands, go a promotion to the rank of Major to those of you that hold the rank of Captain and to Colonel for those that hold the rank of Major. Congratulations."**

**Another round of applause followed then Apollo began again.**

"**The following officers will assume command of the two Battle Cruisers. Major Deitra, you will assume command of the Egidon, Major Gilles, you will assume command of the Istvan. With these postings comes a promotion in rank to Colonel. Congratulations."**

**More Applause were heard then Apollo went on.**

"**The following officers will assume command of the two Gunstars. Colonel Bojay, you will assume command of the Chiron, Major Jolly, you will assume command of the Chimaera. With these postings, you will both be promoted to the rank of Commander. Congratulations."**

**The applause were louder then ever as Bojay and Jolly accepted the handshakes of their fellow Warriors. After about a centon, Apollo called the room to order again.**

"**The last three postings are for the most important, and the most challenging positions of all …… command of a Colonial Battlestar. The three Warriors that have been chosen for this unparalleled task were chosen not only for their seniority, but for their past service and their knowledge of Battlestar tactics and operations. It was a difficult choice to make, but I believe we chose the best people for these positions."**

**The room had fallen silent as everyone in the room anticipated who the three new Battlestar commanders would be. Certainly Colonel Boomer would covet one of the prized postings, having been executive officer of the Galactica and vice fleet commander for the past eighteen yahren. **

**Another Battlestar command had to go to the irrepressible Colonel Starbuck. As the most skilled and daring Viper pilot of the last century, he had taken over the command of all the Galactica's squadrons when Apollo was promoted to Commander. His innovative flying techniques had become standard teaching at the Colonial Service Academy, which was under the command of Commander Croft.**

**That left only one command and that had to go to Colonel Sheba. As commanding officer of Silver Spar Squadron, she had led her troops into many a battle against the Cylons while serving under her father, the legendary Commander Cain aboard the Battlestar Pegasus. Giving her the third Battlestar was a no brainier!**

"**And so, the following officers will assume command of the three Colonial Battlestars. Colonel Boomer, you will assume command of the Battlestar Corinthia, Colonel Starbuck, you will assume command of the Battlestar Carpathia."**

**Apollo paused for a moment as the applause grew too loud to be heard over. This was the moment he had dreaded. **

"**Major Omega, you will assume command of the Battlestar Octavia. Congratulations."**

**The applause were few as nearly everyone in the room sat in shock at the naming of Omega as the Commander of the Octavia. **

**None was more shocked then Sheba however!**

**She sat there in the front row of seats with her mouth hanging open, unable to utter a word. She could do little more then stare at Apollo, who was returning her gaze with a very sympathetic look of his own. He knew when he made this announcement, it would be hard on her, but he had his reasons for denying her a command of her own. He only hoped that she would understand.**

**Luckily at that moment, Boomer stepped forward and called the room to order. Everyone came to their feet in an instant and stood at attention. Then Boomer gave the command to dismiss and the assembled Warriors began exiting the room, eager to celebrate their new positions. **

**All except one!**

**Sheba stood in front of the podium still staring at Apollo. There were now tears in her eyes.**

**Boomer leaned over to Apollo and asked if he wanted him to stay. Apollo put his hand on Boomers shoulder and told him no, so Boomer and Starbuck, who was still standing behind Apollo made a quiet exit, leaving Apollo and Sheba alone in the room.**

"**Do you mind telling me why you assigned every senior officer their own command except me, or do I have to guess ….. COMMANDER!" Sheba shot out venomously. **

**Apollo was hurt by the use of his title instead of his name, but didn't let it show. He stepped down from the podium and stood in front of her. He tried to reach out to her but she quickly took several steps back from him, her anger a palatable thing.**

"**Sheba, I'm sorry! I know you wanted your own command, and believe me, nobody deserves one more then you do, but …" Apollo began, but was cut off by Sheba.**

"**But what! What reason could you have to give commands to officers that are far less experienced and knowledgeable about capital ship tactics then me?" She shouted at him, her tears beginning to flow. "I am every bit as good an officer as Boomer or Starbuck! Sure, they have seniority over me. Fine, but how can you chose Omega over me?"**

"**I chose Omega because he knows more about Battlestar tactics then anyone in the fleet with the exception of President Tigh." Apollo said loudly, his own anger beginning to rise. "He served as my father's bridge officer for nearly twenty yahren before I took over and has served as second officer since then. He is more then qualified to command."**

"**Maybe he is, but why didn't you assign me to another ship?" Sheba said, her anger diminishing somewhat. "I would have taken a Gunstar or a Cruiser. Hades hole, I'd have taken a Frigate if that's all there was. But not to get even a Frigate, I just don't understand!"**

"**I have my reasons for not giving you a ship of your own, and admittedly, some of those reasons are personal. I didn't want my wife on another ship." Apollo told her.**

"**Apollo, what does that have to do with it?" Sheba asked. "We would still be together."**

"**Oh really! When? When I came over to your ship or when you came back to the Galactica?" Apollo said. "And what about the children, who would they stay with? Would you take Aphrodite and I keep Adam with me? I wanted to keep my family together!"**

**Sheba began to cry harder now and moved into Apollo's open arms.**

"**I'm sorry Apollo; I don't know why it was so important to me to have my own command. I guess I just wanted to prove to myself that I was as good as my father."**

"**I know, but keeping you here was only part of the reason I didn't give you your own command."**

**Sheba turned her face up toward his with a look of confusion. **

"**What do you mean?" she asked.**

"**Well, with Boomer and Starbuck off on their own, I need someone to be my new executive officer and Vice-Commander of the fleet!"**

**Sheba leaned away from Apollo and stared at him with her mouth hanging open.**

"**You want me to take over for Boomer?" she asked.**

"**That's right, I need someone that can handle not only the duties of running the Galactica's day to day operations, but also see to the coordination of all movements within the fleet. It's a huge responsibility, but I think you can handle it." Apollo told her. "So what do you say, think you're up to the challenge?"**

**Sheba's smile was all the answer he needed as she threw herself into his arms.**

**Two sectons after the new commanders were announced and they had put together their respective command staffs and ships crews, the fleet was ready to get underway. All ships had their fuel cells filled to capacity and food, water and all the other necessary supplies were loaded aboard. Since the older Battlestars were not equipped to handle the fleets Viper fighters, all the Vipers of the fleet were left on the Galactica until such time as the older ships could be retrofitted to accommodate them. **

**A search of the ships abandoned by the Second Fleet produced fifty six of the ancient "Scarab" fighters and twenty one of the "newer" Asp fighters. These were divided up between the three Battlestars and the two Gunstars as were the pilots of the Galactica's six squadrons with three squadrons (Blue and Red Squadrons plus the training squadron.) staying aboard the Galactica, Green Squadron going to the Corinthia, Orange Squadron to the Octavia and Silver Spar to the Carpathia. **

**The Gunstars Chimaera and Chiron, which were allotted only four Scarabs and one Asp fighter each, were assigned a dozen pilots from the reserve squadron until they could fill out their squadrons with new ships and pilots, which they hoped would take only a few sectars.**

**Finally, the last of the civilian personnel were being transferred to their new ships. All had gone fairly smoothly until Apollo received a message from Boomer aboard the Corinthia. He did not seem happy!**

"**What's the problem Boomer?" Apollo asked reluctantly.**

"**Same as the past ten times I've called, another one of the former civilian ship masters is complaining about leaving his ship behind and not being given a better posting then he received." Boomer said, his frustration all too apparent. **

**Apollo could feel his friend's frustration as he too had been bombarded with complaints from the former ship masters whose ships did not possess faster then light drives or had been designated as unfit to continue the journey. **

"**Who is it this time?" he asked.**

"**Buhner, master of the cargo ship "Red Star", it was one of the ships without FTL drive." Boomer said.**

"**Buhner huh," Apollo said thoughtfully. "What's his complaint?"**

"**He say's that since he was once a Colonial Warrior, he should have been given a commission and a posting as a command staff officer."**

"**I didn't know Buhner was a Warrior!" Apollo said.**

"**Oh he was a Warrior alright." Boomer said sarcastically. "He spent five yahren aboard the Rycon as an engineer before being released from service after the Battle of Cosmaro Archipelago. He became an engineer on the Red Star and eventually was made Master."**

"**I see, is he there?" Apollo asked. **

"**He's right here, hold on."**

**Boomer stepped away from the monitor and motioned for Buhner to step forward. A moment later, any older man with a shaved head and the most disgusting set of teeth Apollo had ever seen stepped forward. Apollo had to use every bit of self control he possessed not to show his utter revulsion at seeing this man.**

"**Engineer Buhner, I understand you're less then pleased with your posting as an engineer aboard the Corinthia, is this correct?" Apollo asked.**

"**You have the right of that Commander!" Buhner said angrily. "I've been a ships master for over twenty yahren and I was a Colonial Warrior before that, and the only posting I can get is as a common engineer! I think I should have been given an officers commission!"**

**Before he could say another word, Apollo cut Buhner off. **

"**Is that so? Well let me tell you what I think, I think that after reviewing your service record and taking into account your past service as master of the Red Star, I think you are damn luck to be given an assignment on any military vessel."**

**Buhner's expression changed from one of anger to one of absolute shock, as if someone had just slapped him in the face. He started to say something, but Apollo cut him off.**

"**I also think you are not qualified for a position as anything above a common engineer." Apollo continued. "Therefore I don't want to hear about how you deserve a position as a staff officer!"**

**Buhner was beginning to turn red from anger and humiliation. Again he tried to voice an objection, but Apollo was not going to allow it.**

"**Furthermore, if I hear of you causing any trouble while serving aboard the Corinthia, I'll have Commander Boomer throw you in the brig for the next ten yahren. Is that understood?"**

**Buhner's face went pale as his mouth worked soundlessly, trying to something ….. Anything! **

**Apollo continued. **

"**Now, I would strongly suggest to you engineer Buhner that you be thankful that you were given a posting to one of the war ships under the command of a Colonial Warrior and not one of the civilian ships, under the command of a civilian ship master, where as you know, the conditions can get rather, shall I say ….. unpleasant!" **

**Buhner was finished. He couldn't even look at the monitor with Apollo's face on it. He simply lowered his eyes to the floor and mumbled a very discouraged, "yes sir." **

**Boomer, who had been standing behind Buhner the whole time, was trying hard not to laugh as he listened to Apollo dress down the arrogant former ship master. When Buhner looked away from the screen, Apollo glanced over at Boomer and gave him a quick smile and wink. Boomer gave a slight nod of his head in thanks.**

"**Now, if there is nothing else you wish to discuss with me at this time engineer Buhner, I'd like to get back to my duties, after all, I do have a fleet to run."**

**Buhner said nothing, he simply removed the headset he was using and handed it to Boomer and walked off the bridge without uttering a sound. **

**Boomer took the headset, holding it with one finger as if it had fallen into the turbo flush, and placed it to the side. Then he donned another headset and began to talk.**

"**Apollo, that was a thing of beauty! I haven't seen a bigger bag of hot air deflated so fast since you pulled the plug on Sire Uri back on Carillon." Boomer laughed.**

"**Thanks, I'm surprised you didn't just shoot him thou." Apollo joked. **

"**Believe me, I was sorely tempted!" Boomer said. "So, now that that important personnel issue has been taken care of, when are we going to get moving? My people are ready."**

"**Were just waiting for the last few shuttles to land aboard the Carpathia and for Starbuck to give me the all secure. Once his people are ready to go, we'll be underway." Apollo told him.**

"**Always waiting for Starbuck!" Boomer said jokingly.**

**Apollo laughed as he heard Sheba behind him call over.**

"**Apollo, message from the Carpathia. They say they have landed their last shuttle and are secured from flight ops. Their awaiting your orders."**

"**Very well, tell them to stand by." He said to his new second in command, then he turned back to Boomer. "Looks like we're a go Boomer, stand by for the word."**

"**Right, Corinthia out!" **

**With that, the screen went dark. Apollo moved over to where Sheba was monitoring the final preparations for getting underway. The new bridge officer, Lieutenant Teal was busy double checking all her systems in anticipation of receiving the order to begin the next leg of their journey. Apollo looked about the bridge, watching his crew moving about their duties. He was very proud of the people that made up his crew, especially now that most of his regular crew members had been divided up amongst the other war ships of the fleet. Those people, many of whom were civilians, had stepped up and performed the duties usually done by Warriors admirably. **

**The last few stations reported in ready for departure so Apollo made his way over to his command station, where he donned a headset and switched on the fleet-wide frequency.**

"**May I have your attention please, this is Commander Apollo speaking. For most of the last four sectars, we have been working almost non-stop to recover and make operational the ships of the long missing Second Fleet. It took a lot of hard work and more then a little self sacrifice on the part of our people, but we did it! And now, all that hard work has come to fruition, because today, we begin a new chapter in our search for our lost brothers and sisters. Not those that we believe set out for the planet Earth, but for those that many yahren ago left these ships here. Today we will set out in search of the people of the Second Fleet!"**

**Apollo turned to Sheba and gave the order they had all been waiting for.**

"**Colonel Sheba, pass the word along to all ships, assume standard formation and move out. Heading seven nine seven Beta by five nine one, ahead one third."**

"**Yes sir!" Sheba said smiling, then passed the orders along to the rest of the fleet, a fleet that had recently numbered one hundred sixty three mismatched ships, now numbered just forty eight. This new look fleet was made up of four Battlestars, two Gunstars, two Battle Cruisers, five Destroyers, twenty tankers, six agro-ships, four industrial ships, two mineral ships, two livestock ships and of course, the Rising Star. Thou the fleet had been trimmed by well over a hundred ships, there was far more room then ever before for the people to live in. It was a much leaner and, more deadly fleet then the one that had left the Colonies twenty four yahren before.**

"**All ships are in formation and on course." Sheba reported.**

"**Very good. Stand by to increase speed to full." Apollo ordered.**

"**Yes sir."**

"**Increase to full speed, maintain course seven nine seven Beta."**

"**Increasing to full." Sheba repeated. "Maintaining course."**

**The ships of the fleet proceeded along at full speed for a time while the crews checked and double checked their systems to insure that nothing was amiss. Once all ships reported in and all was good, Apollo stepped over to his station and addressed the fleet again.**

"**May I have your attention please, this is Commander Apollo again. The fleet has increased to full speed and each ship has done a check of all systems. We have received a go from all ships; therefore, we will be increasing to light speed. It has been a long time since any of these ships have been pushed to that speed, even the Galactica hasn't gone to light speed in over twenty yahren, so we will need each and every one of you to be especially alert for anything that could lead to a potential problem. With your help, we should be able to do this without any problems. Thank you. Galactica out!"**

**Apollo turned to Sheba and nodded, "Pass the word to the fleet, all ships assume light speed formation and prepare to go to light speed."**

**Sheba nodded her head and passed the word to the rest of the fleet. When she received acknowledgements from all ships, she informed Apollo. He in turn gave the order to increase to light speed.**

**The ships of the fleet again began to accelerate until they were traveling at the speed of light. **

**It was a heady feeling traveling at those speeds and the distances covered were astounding. Apollo had once figured that if they had been traveling at light speed from the day they left the Colonies, they would have reach the dust cloud in just over four yahren, not the twenty four yahren it had taken. Now, with so many fewer ships, there was an abundance of fuel and this would allow them to travel at a much greater speed then before. **

**The question Apollo had to answer now was, how long of a voyage would this turn out to be?**


	16. First Contact

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter Sixteen**

**First Contact**

**Apollo sat in his office trying to relax after yet another eighteen centar day filled with the endless paperwork that had become the norm, it was almost unbearable. He had poured over countless requisitions for supplies, endless status reports, complaint reports, disciplinary reports, fuel reports, criminal reports and every other type of report one could imagine from the various ships of the fleet for so long, they all seemed to run together. Finally he decided enough was enough and left the bridge in Sheba's hands while he went to his office for a chance to disassociate himself from the rigors of command for a centar or two. He know understood why his father had taken so many of what he called "meditation periods" while he commanded the Galactica.**

**He picked up the small microphone from the desk and began to speak, adding to his personal log.**

"**It's been nearly five sectons since we left the dust cloud where we found the abandoned ships of the Second Colonial Fleet and so far we have found few signs of their passage. We have followed along the course indicated by Commander Dienekes in his final log which was found aboard the Battlestar Carpathia, but I have to wonder ……. will we ever find the survivors of the Second Fleet, or are they long gone?"**

**Apollo sat the microphone down and leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes, listening to the ever-present hum of the giant thrusters that pushed the giant Battlestar thru space. He was just starting to relax when the com unit on his desk sounded. He opened his eyes and gave the com unit a disapproving scowl before he leaned forward to activate the unit.**

"**Apollo here!" he said without activating the viewer. Sheba's voice came thru the speaker.**

"**Apollo, we just picked up a large star system along our present course. Distance is about one point seven four light-yahren." **

"**One point seven four light yahren!" Apollo exclaimed, not believing the range of the new scanners Nagy had built into the Galactica. "Can you detect any life forms from here?"**

"**Not yet, but we are picking up some electronic signals from the system, could be communications of some kind." She told him.**

**Apollo leaned forward and activated the viewer. The face of Colonel Sheba, his second in command …..and his wife, filled the screen. She smiled at him as his image came on her screen.**

"**That's more like it!" she said jokingly, then in a more business like tone she asked, "Should I dispatch one of the Destroyers to investigate further?"**

**Apollo pondered this for a moment then shook his head and said, "No, they haven't been refitted with the new scanners yet. Send Bojay in the Chiron to check it out, they've already had the scanner conversion done and were finishing up with their flight deck refit so they should be able to handle flight ops with Vipers. Have Boxey take Blue Squadron over to the Chiron and coordinate with Captain Kell. Once they get into range, I want a Viper patrol of that star system. In the mean time, have Bojay recon the system from a safe distance, if there are people there, we don't want them to know we're out here yet."**

"**Will do!" Sheba said with a big smile, then the screen went dark. **

**Apollo leaned back in his chair again and wondered what they might find in this star system. Would they find any signs of the Second Fleet? Could the signals they were picking up be the ancestors of the Second Fleet's survivors? How would they react to people from the colonies after so many yahren with no contact? Would they consider themselves part of the colonies or would they have cut all ties to their past? Only time would tell!**

**Bojay stood looking over the bridge of the Chiron with a great sense of satisfaction. There was a certain sense of pride one felt when they commanded a warship and Bojay surely felt it now! He'd loved his time flying Vipers, but this is where he had always wanted to be, on the bridge of his own ship. Ever since he transferred from the Galactica to the Pegasus, he had wanted to command his own ship, just like his idol, Commander Cain. Granted, a seven hundred sixty eight yahren old Gunstar (at least that's what Cadet…..no, now Ensign Sabo had told him) wasn't exactly the same as a Battlestar, but under the current circumstances it was more then adequate.**

**Bojay had done a little research on his own to find out a little bit about the history of his "new" ship and what he learned of its history was amazing! The Chiron was one of the most battle tested and decorated ships in the history of the Colonial service. It had served as part of the Second Fleet from the day of its commissioning and was the only vessel to survive the one and only direct assault on the Cylon home world back in 6612. During that ill fated raid, over five hundred ships were destroyed and close to half a million brave Warriors died at the hands of the Cylons and their allies. The Chiron was able to limp home with over half her crew dead, including her commanding officer, Commander Antares. **

**The last commander of the Chiron he learned was a Commander Arial, who it turns out was the great, great, great, great granddaughter of Commander Antares. From all accounts she was a very aggressive commander, even for a Scorpion. It was rumored that this was because she was trying to live up to the standards set by Commander Antares and always felt as if she was coming up short. Bojay thought that her aggressiveness was in part due to the fact that she was the first woman to be given command of a capital ship and wanted to prove she was as good as any of her male contemporaries. Whatever the case, it seemed she was a most formidable Commander. **

**Bojay's revere was broken by a call from his scanner operator, Lieutenant Dow.**

"**Commander, there's a small group of asteroids just off to port. On present course, we'll pass within a thousand metrons of the largest of them." **

"**Sir, I recommend we alter course and give them a wider birth." Colonel Malis, the Chiron's exec said.**

**Bojay nodded his head and ordered the helmsman, Ensign Duigan to change course so as to give them a minimum of five thousand metrons clearance, then he asked Dow if she had found anything in the star system ahead.**

"**Yes sir, I've been concentrating my scans on the planets in what would be the "life belt" and I've found what appears to be a large number of objects in orbit around several of the planets. They could be ships of some kind!"**

"**Ships! What kind of ships?" Bojay exclaimed as he nearly ran over to the scanner station. "How many are there? Can you get a fix on them?"**

"**Negative sir, we're still too far away for a positive ID." Lieutenant Dow said. "All I can tell so far is that there are a large number of objects in orbit around the third, forth, fifth and sixth planets."**

**Bojay wondered whether this was their first contact with the survivors from the Second Fleet and if so, how would they feel about the Galactica and her fleet showing up on their doorstep. How would they react? After so many yahren without contact with the colonies, would these people still consider themselves part of the colonies? Would they even know about the Colonies? These were questions he would like to have answers for before he ran into any of them. Maybe he should send a message off to the Galactica and ask Apollo for instructions on the subject?**

**It was at that moment that another of Nagy's inventions came into play. The alarm to the new scanning detection system went off signaling Lieutenant Dow that the Chiron had just been scanned!**

"**Where did that signal come from Dow?" Bojay asked as he looked over the young woman's shoulder. Lieutenant Dow worked the controls of the new scan detector and soon had a fix on the source of the scans.**

"**The scans are coming from that large asteroid to port Commander." She told him, indicating the large asteroid they were now passing. "I'm not picking up any life sign's. Looks like an automated system of some kind."**

"**Any sign of weapons or fighters?" Bojay asked, expecting the worse.**

"**None detected sir!" Dow said. "Looks to be just a simple automated detection system, we must have entered its detection sphere and set it off."**

**Bojay thought about it for a moment, then asked if there were any outgoing signals from the asteroid. Dow's answer was as he expected.**

"**Affirmative, I'm picking up a unidirectional signal aimed right at that star system directly ahead." Dow told him.**

"**Frak!" Bojay exclaimed under his breath, then to Dow he said. "Get me a scan those things in orbit and tell me if there's any change in what their doing!" Bojay ordered.**

**Lieutenant Dow switched her scanners back to the star system where it was immediately evident that somebody had heard the signal from the asteroid. Where they had found numerous objects in orbit around several planets during their initial scans, they now found that a large group of what had to be ships breaking off and moving toward them on an intercept course. Bojay watched as a group of twenty large ships headed towards his ancient Gunstar.**

"**Should we go to battle stations?" Colonel Malis asked as she watched the unidentified ships approach. Bojay thought about it for a moment then turned to his exec.**

"**No, our orders were to observe and report back without making contact. I think our best bet would be to……." Bojay began before Lieutenant Dow cut him off.**

"**Commander, you better take a look at this!"**

**Bojay and Malis turned to the scanner operator's screen and could barely believe their eyes. One after another, the approaching ships began to disappear!**

"**What in Hades hole is going on?" Malis asked no one in particular. **

**Bojay shook his head slowly and said, "I don't know, but this can't be good!" He then turned to the helmsmen and ordered him to come about and head back toward the fleet. Then he told the communications officer, Ensign Welsh to send a coded message to the Galactica informing them of what we've had found and our present situation. The comms officer acknowledged the order and began sending the message. Bojay was about to issue more orders when Lieutenant Dow yelled out to him.**

"**Commander, there are ships popping up out of nowhere!" she said. "Their all around us!"**

"**What?" Bojay exclaimed as he ran over to the scanner station. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, all around the Chiron, ships of different sizes and configurations were materializing from empty space.**

"**Lords of Kobol!" Bojay mumbled. "Helm, all stop! Colonel, sound battle stations. All squadrons to the launch bay. Have Vipers stand by but they are not to launch, just have them ready to launch on a microns notice."**

"**Yes sir!" Malis said as she passed the orders along.**

"**Captain Gavin, I want a tactical analysis of the situation immediately! I want to know how many ships there are and what their armament is."**

"**Yes sir!" Captain Gavin, the Tactical Officer said as he began compiling information on the unknown vessels.**

**Bojay turned to Ensign Welsh and asked if she had gotten the message sent.**

"**I got most of it out sir, but as soon as those ships started showing up, all frequencies became jammed with static!"**

"**Frak! Alright, keep sending. Let the Galactica know our situation and that we need immediate assistance." Bojay told her, then he turned to Captain Gavin. **

"**What's their weapons status? Have you got a fix on what kind of fire power they have?"**

"**Negative sir, their generating some sort of electro-magnetic field, it's blocking my scans." Gavin said. "I've never seen anything like it!"**

"**Who in Hades are these people?" Bojay wondered to himself, then to Lieutenant Welsh he said, "Open a channel to those ships. Let's see if they feel like talking!"**

**Welsh opened up a com-channel to the unidentified ships that now surrounded the Chiron. For several long and tense moments, there was no response, just static. Then the static cleared and a voice could be heard.**

**A voice speaking in the Scorpion tongue!**

"**This is Commander Polenikes of the Scorpion Battlestar Nocterria. Do not try to escape, we have you surrounded." The voice commanded. "Power down your weapons and engines and prepare to be boarded. Failure to comply will result in the destruction of your vessel!"**

**Bojay and Malis exchanged looks of uncertainty and apprehension. Though neither of them could understand the man's statement, the languatron had no problem translating it into Colonial standard. **

"**What are we going to do Commander?" Malis asked.**

"**First let's see if this guy will talk to us, then we'll go from there." Bojay told her. Then he told Ensign Welsh to open a channel to the lead ship.**

"**This is Commander Bojay, commanding officer of the Colonial Gunstar Chiron. We are here on a peaceful mission and mean you no harm. We only wish to talk to you."**

**There was another long silence, this time lasting almost a full centon, then the voice came back, this time speaking in heavily accented Colonial standard.**

"**Gunstar Chiron, hold your position. Power down your engines and weapons. Make no attempt to use your scanners or communications."**

**Then the connection was terminated. **

**Bojay turned to his exec.**

"**Well Colonel, looks like we've made first contact wither we wanted to or not!" he said.**

"**It would seem so Commander. Orders?" Malis replied.**

**Bojay glanced out the view screen at the numerous ships facing his lone Gunstar and with an air of resignation, he gave the order to comply with their "captor's" instructions. Malis nodded her head and passed the orders along to secure from battle stations and to shutdown all scanners. Bojay then asked Welsh to open a channel to the lead ship again.**

"**Commander Polenikes, this is Commander Bojay. We have done as you requested and await further instructions."**

**After several centons, the voice of Commander Polenikes came back on the speakers.**

"**Gunstar Chiron, you will hold position until we have attached grapples to you. Once this is done we will take you back to Scorpius. Do not attempt to resist or interfere."**

**Bojay and Malis looked uncertainly at one another again. Whatever was about to happen, it seemed was out of their hands. They could only hope that whatever did happen, it would not be too unpleasant.**

"**Commander, look at this!" called Ensign Duigan.**

**Bojay and Malis looked out the forward viewer and watched as a monstrous vessel came slowly toward them. At first it resembled an old style Battlestar, but as it approached, it became quit obvious that this was no ordinary Battlestar. For starters, it was larger then any Battlestar Bojay had ever seen, even the Galactica! As it moved closer, details of this behemoth became more apparent. It bristled with laser turrets and pulsar cannons as well as hundreds of what appeared to be missile ports. It was truly an awe inspiring site. **

**The giant ship continued to sail toward them on what appeared to be a collision course, then it made a slight adjustment and sailed up and over the Chiron. As it passed over the comparatively diminutive Gunstar, it turned about and centered itself directly above the Chiron. It then lowered itself to within ten metrons and extended dozens of grappling arms, which latched onto the smaller Gunstar.**

**Bojay and the rest of the crew could hear and feel the giant ship attach itself to the Chiron and wondered what it was they had gotten themselves into. Bojay told Malis to double check that all stations had shut down operations and that the crew remained calm, even thou he himself was feeling a bit unnerved at the moment. Then the voice of Commander Polenikes came over the com system.**

"**Polenikes to Chiron, standby for trans-spaceial jump!" **

**Bojay looked at Malis confusedly. **

"**Stand by for what?" he asked.**

**Malis shrugged her shoulders.**

**Bojay was about to try and contact Polenikes when the entire ship began to shake. He looked out the forward viewport and saw that they were now moving, being carried away by the huge ship that had latched onto them. **

"**Positive shield now!" Bojay yelled. **

**Gavin flipped the switch that controlled the huge metal shield that covered the forward view screen. The massive shield slide shut as the Chiron accelerated.**

"**All hands brace yourselves. We're being taken for a ride and it looks like it's going to be a bumpy one." Bojay yelled over the unicom.**

**After several microns, the shaking subsided. Bojay ordered Gavin to open the shield. What he saw was astonishing!**

**The stars were flying past them so fast, they were little more then streaks of white light. Bojay wondered how fast they were moving……. And how? Even at light speed, the stars didn't distort this much. It was amazing!**

**Then, as quickly as they had accelerated, they came to a stop.**

**This sudden decrease in velocity caused a large number of personnel to become violently ill while others lost conciseness. Bojay felt his last meal try to come back on him, but was able to maintain control. All those yahren of flying Vipers had given him an advantage that most of his crew didn't have. It would take some time for them to clean up the mess they had made of the ship.**

"**Status report, all decks!" Bojay ordered as he regained his composure. Then he looked out the view port and saw that they were now in orbit of a beautiful blue-green planet. **

"**Where are we Commander?" Malis asked, still a bit shaky from their little trip.**

"**I'd say were in orbit around one of their home worlds."**

"**So what happens now?" asked Major Hynes, the Operations Officer.**

"**That's up to them!" Bojay said softly. **

**At that moment, Ensign Welsh called over to Bojay.**

"**Commander, message coming in from the Scorpion ship."**

**Bojay nodded and told her to transfer it to his station. The voice of Commander Polenikes came thru the speakers.**

"**Chiron, stand by to receive our shuttle!" We will land in your flight deck in ten centons. Nocterria out!"**

**The transmission ended.**

**Bojay exchanged surprised looks with Colonel Malis.**

"**Not a very talkative chap is he!" Bojay said.**

"**Not very!" she responded. "So how do you want to play this Commander?"**

"**Well, since they still have us clamped to that behemoth, I'd say we go along with whatever they want and see if we can get some answers."**

**It was at that time that Ensign Duigan called up to the Commander.**

"**Commander, there's a ship of some kind heading this way. Looks like it might be a shuttle."**

**Bojay and the others looked out the forward view screen where they saw a small, sleek vessel approaching the Chiron. It had the look and feel of a fighter, but was far larger and only had two visible laser cannons.**

"**That must be their "shuttle"." Malis said.**

"**Yep, guess we should go down and greet our "guests"." Bojay said sarcastically. This got a chuckle from the other officers. With that being said, Bojay left the bridge in Captain Gavin's charge as he, Colonel Malis and Major Hynes departed for the landing bay.**

**Bojay and the rest of his senior staff waited in the landing bay as the Scorpion ship made a picture perfect landing. Before the engines of the craft had even shut down, the hatch of the sleek ship opened and a score of men in what looked like old style Colonial uniforms and carrying some sort of long pole arms marched out in drill squad unison and formed two ranks extending out from the opening. They made no sound other then that of their knee high boots clicking in perfect unison on the deck. Then without a word, they came to a halt and the two ranks turned to face each other. They slammed the butt ends of the pole arms on the deck and stood at rigid attention. All those in the landing bay were quite impressed with the precision of this "honor guard". Bojay and his staff moved closer, stopping a few metrons from the end of the honor guard and stood at attention themselves. **

**Moments later, a man appeared in the hatch. He was of less then average height, at least for a Caprican, but of average height for a Scorpion. He had long black hair with but a touch of grey, worn in a number of braided strands that hung past his shoulders in the back. He was dressed in what looked like a cross between an old style Colonial Warrior uniform and the garb worn by the Scorpion people over six millennium ago. The man looked to be of middle yahren, perhaps seventy or eighty yahren, but was in excellent physical condition. Bojay wished that he was in such good shape. The mans dark eyes scanned the landing bay for a moment, then landed on Bojay and his officers. A slight smile came to the mans lips as he looked at them. It made Bojay a little nervous. The man began to approach the Chiron's officers with a group of other men, dressed very much like the leader, following close behind. They were not smiling!**

**As this man and his group reached the end of the honor guard, they came to a halt. For a few microns, both groups stood, staring at each other. Sizing each other up! Then the leader of the Scorpion group spoke.**

"**I am Commander Leonitus, King of Scorpius and supreme commander of the Scorpion Grand Fleet. I bid you and yours welcome." The man said with a slight nodded of his head. "And who might you be?"**

**Bojay took a step forward and bowed slightly at the waist, being very careful to keep his eyes on the men in front of him.**

"**My thanks lord king. I am Commander Bojay, commanding officer of the Colonial Gunstar Chiron and these are my officers. I greet you in friendship."**

"**You are from the twelve colonies of man? From the star system called Cyrannus where dwell the children of Kobol?" Leonitus asked.**

"**That is correct lord king." Bojay answered, remembering what Sabo had said about the etiquette used by the Scorpion people when referring to the Warrior-Kings of the past. His address of the king seemed to please the man.**

"**It has been nearly four centuries since our ancestors left their home world and were stranded here without the knowledge of how to return home." Leonitus said somberly. "Now by the grace of the gods we can return their bones to Scorpia as they deserve."**

"**Lord king, there have been many changes in the Colonies since your forefathers set forth on their mission. The colonies are no longer ours!" Bojay told them.**

**The Scorpion officers paled in disbelief at hearing this, uttering curses and vowing revenge until Leonitus quieted them with a raised hand.**

"**Pray tell us Commander, what happened?" Leonitus asked.**

"**I think it would best lord king if my commanding officer was to tell you." Bojay said quickly. "I'm sure he would be able to tell you far more of what happened since I was not in the Colonies when all transpired."**

**Leonitus thought about this for a moment, then nodded his assent and asked where Bojay's commanding officer was.**

"**He is with our fleet lord king, they were following behind my ship." Bojay told him. **

"**How far behind is your fleet Commander?" Leonitus asked.**

"**Not far lord king, they could be here in less then a secton if I could contact them and let them know that we found you."**

"**Found us?" Leonitus said questioningly.**

"**Yes lord king, you see……. We've been searching for you ever since we found the ships left behind by the Second Fleet."**

"**You found the rest of the fleet?" Leonitus said in amazement.**

"**Yes lord king, we found them hidden away in a great dust cloud more then a sectar from here at light speed. This very vessel was among them."**

**Leonitus let this information soak in for a moment then stepped closer to Bojay.**

"**I think it's time we got you in contact with your fleet."**


	17. Journey to Scorpius

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Reunited**

**Apollo and Sheba were discussing the latest stack of reports when a message came in from Bojay on the Chiron. The last message they received from him had said that the Chiron had found a large number of objects in orbit around several of the planets and that they were going to move in for a better look. Shortly there after they received a short message, but it was soon overridden with so much static that it was impossible to understand. This had made Apollo and Sheba very nervous, so this new transmission was a very welcome thing. Apollo had the message transferred to his station.**

"**Chiron to Galactica, come in please." Came the voice of the female communications officer aboard the Chiron. Apollo put on his headset and answered the call.**

"**This is the Galactica Chiron, what's your status?" Apollo asked.**

"**Apollo, this is Bojay. You're not going to believe this, but we found them!" he said excitedly as his image came up on the viewer. **

**Apollo looked at Sheba confusedly and asked, "Found who?"**

"**The Second Fleet!" Bojay said. "Or at least their ancestors! We found them, or they found us, or however you want to put it."**

"**Slow down Bojay! You say found the Second Fleets survivors?" Apollo asked, not wanting to get too excited before he had all the facts. **

"**That's what I said! Their here, on these planets." Bojay answered excitedly. **

"**That's fantastic!" Apollo said somewhat shocked, then he added, "You didn't make contact did you?"**

**There was a short pause before Bojay answered.**

"**It was kind of unavoidable Apollo. You see they had this detection satellite on this asteroid and ….."**

"**Alright Bojay" Apollo cut him off chuckling a bit. "I'll read your report when you get back. Tell me, how did they respond to your presence and to finding out our fleet is heading their way?"**

"**I'll let you ask them for yourself!" Bojay said with a smile. Bojay got up from his seat and was replaced by someone else. The face of a man he didn't recognize came up on the viewer. He was older then Apollo by at least a score of yahren, but had an air of youth about him. His hair and beard were jet black with just a few grey hairs mixed in. He wore his hair long, past his shoulders, and braided into a number of thick strands. His eyes were as black as his hair and sparkled with the life force of a man in his youth. Apollo couldn't help but be impressed by this man. Nor could Sheba!**

"**I bid you greetings Commander Apollo." The man said in heavily accented Colonial standard. "I am Commander Leonitus, King of Scorpius and Supreme Commander of the Scorpion Grand Fleet. I welcome you to our star system and greet you as brothers of Kobol."**

**Apollo sat there stunned! Had he heard this man correctly? If so, it was almost too good to have hoped for. **

"**And to you sir." Apollo replied. "It is a pleasure to meet you. We have journeyed a great distance to find you and your people."**

"**So I have gathered from your Commander Bojay." Leonitus said. "I look forward to meeting you Commander. We have much to discuss, you and I!"**

"**I agree sir. We should reach your star system in four days."**

"**Four Days?" Leonitus said with a raised eyebrow. "Well then, that gives us plenty of time to arrange a feast of thanksgiving to celebrate your arrival. I look forward to meeting you Commander."**

**With that the screen went dark.**

**Apollo sat staring at the screen for a moment then looked up at the equally astonished face of Sheba. When their eyes meet, smiles began to form on both their faces.**

"**Do you believe it Apollo?" Sheba said excitedly. "We've found them! We found the Second Fleet!"**

"**Yes, its amazing, isn't it?" he replied. "But did you see the way he reacted when I told him it would take us four days to get there? He seemed amused by that!"**

"**Maybe he was amazed that it would take so little time for us to get there, after all, faster then light travel was fairly new back when they left the Colonies." Sheba said.**

"**I don't think that was it." Apollo countered. "He said "they would have plenty of time before we arrived", that sounds to me like he was expecting us sooner."**

"**Does it really matter Apollo? The fact is, we've found them and we might actually have a chance to settle down and begin rebuilding what we lost!"**

**Apollo nodded his head slightly and said to her, "Maybe you're right, but I don't want to get our peoples' hopes up again. Remember the last time we tried to settle down?"**

"**Apollo, that was nearly nineteen yahren ago. We haven't seen a single sign of the Cylons since then. I'm sure if they were still following us we would have seen some sign of them before now." Sheba argued, knowing that it was a fight she would never win. Ever since the "Disaster of New Genesis", Apollo had refused to even consider stopping to settle their people on a planet. For him, New Genesis was a wound that would never fully heal.**

"**That might be true Sheba, but I won't take that chance!" Apollo said. Then he flipped the switch to the Unicom and made an announcement to the fleet. **

"**Attention on the fleet, this is Commander Apollo speaking. We have just received word from the Gunstar Chiron that they have found the ancestors of the Colonial Second Fleet!"**

**A cheer went up on the bridge of the Galactica, as it did throughout the fleet, upon hearing this news. After a few moments, Apollo continued.**

"**At this time we have no new information as to what happened to them and what they have been doing since they left the Colonies. As we learn more, we will let you know. At this time, I would like the Commanders of each ship to report to the Galactica for a briefing and to discuss this first meeting with our lost brothers. Galactica out!"**

**A centar later the commanders of each of the fleet's forty eight ships as well as the members of the Council of the Twelve sat or stood in the "war room" aboard the Galactica. Apollo took his customary place at the head of the table with Commander Starbuck on one side and Commander Boomer on the other. Also in attendance was Ensign Sabo, the new fleet historian, Lieutenant Nagy, the head of the newly formed electronics section aboard the Galactica, and Captain Nakola, the leader of Red Squadron and temporary strike leader of the Galactica while Captain Boxey was detached to the Chiron. Apollo rose from his seat and began to speak.**

"**I thank you all for coming on such short notice. Let me get down to the business at hand, just over one centar ago, we received a signal from Commander Bojay saying that he had made contact with the descendants of the survivors of the Second Colonial Fleet."**

**A buzz of excited whispers began throughout the room. Apollo quieted the room and continued.**

"**This was confirmed by my having a short conversation with the current King of the Scorpion people!"**

**Once again the assembled officers began whispering amongst themselves until Apollo called for quiet. He continued.**

"**His name is Leonitus and he holds the military rank of Supreme Commander, which if I'm correct, is the equivalent of a Fleet Commander in the modern Colonial service, is this correct Ensign Sabo?"**

**All eyes turned to the young man who had been so instrumental in the identification and salvage of the ships of the Second Fleet. He rose from his seat and answered the question.**

"**That would be correct sir. The Scorpion military accorded this rank only to their Warrior-King." Sabo said, and then added. "If this man, Leonitus is their king, he is most likely a direct descendant to the last Warrior-King of Scorpia, Leonides."**

"**How do you know this?" asked one of the members of the council.**

"**It was common for the Scorpion elite to be named after their famous ancestors." Sabo replied. "It only figures that this Leonitus is related to Leonides." **

**Apollo nodded his head at this new piece of information. Then he went on with the briefing.**

"**Since these people have been out of touch with the colonies for nearly four centuries, I'm sure their ways are far different then our own. This could cause some conflicts between our peoples, so being that it will take us approximately four days to reach their star system, I encourage each of you to refresh yourselves with the etiquette and culture of the Scorpion people, especially those courtesies and protocols in use when our Scorpion friends left the Colonies. I would not wish to offend them with some misunderstanding."**

**A bit of laughter was heard from the room. Apollo frowned a bit at this.**

"**You might laugh now, but from what I've read in the old writings, the Scorpion people took great offense to many things that we would not think twice about, such as remaining seated when one of higher rank or station is standing. This could get one fifty lashes with a whip. I'd hate to have any of you face this …..or worse, because you violated one of their laws."**

**There was not a word spoken as everyone contemplated this. Apollo continued.**

"**Ensign Sabo has put together a program that you will be able to add to the general information core onboard your ships so everyone in there can familiarize themselves with the proper etiquette and protocol of the Scorpion people. We also have a number of personnel of Scorpion decent that have volunteered to assist in the education of our people. I urge you all to take advantage of this. Are there any questions?"**

"**Are there any non-Scorpion's among the people the Chiron found?" an older man of Libran decent asked.**

"**I'm sorry, can I have your name and vessel?" Apollo asked.**

"**My name is Shelton, master of tylium tanker number seven. I ask this because my great grandsire set out with the Second Fleet when they disappeared and I'd like to know if he survived. If he did, I might have relatives there!"**

"**In truth Master Shelton, I don't know if there are other then Scorpion's there. I didn't have enough time to ask. But I will enquire about that the next time I speak with King Leonitus."**

**The old man sat down, quietly lost in his own thoughts. Apollo glanced around the room and found no other questions forthcoming. **

"**If there's nothing else, then you are all dismissed." **

**The room cleared slowly as the people made there way to where Sabo stood, handing out the information disks with the briefing on Scorpion culture. At the head of the room, Apollo, Boomer, Starbuck and President Tigh stood talking quietly.**

"**So you think there's something going on with this Leonitus guy?" Starbuck asked.**

"**I don't know. Our conversation was too short to learn anything definite." Apollo said. "I just get the feeling he wants something. What that could be, I don't know."**

"**Do you think there's a danger to the fleet Apollo?" Tigh asked.**

"**I don't think so sir. I don't think this Leonitus wants to harm us, but he does want something."**

"**The question is, what?"**

**The four days seemed to take forever to pass as the Galactica and her fleet made their way to the star system of the Second Fleets ancestors. Throughout the fleet, people studied the information on Scorpion culture and etiquette so as not to offend their eccentric brothers, especially when they learned of the rather harsh punishments dealt out by the Scorpion justice system. Sabo and his group of Scorpion volunteers were keep busy the entire trip holding training classes and answering an endless number of questions. Everyone in the fleet was preparing for what was hoped to be a grand reunion.**

**As the Galactica and her fleet came into scanning range of the Scorpion star system, they were able to scan the planets of the system. The scanners on the Galactica were far more powerful then those of the Chiron and therefore they were able to get far more detailed images from a far greater range. These scans reveled that there were numerous large cities on each of the four planets within what was called the "life zone", which was the area of a star system were human life can survive. There were also several moons orbiting those planets, but these didn't sport cities, they had what looked to be huge military bases complete with massive laser defense systems and a multitude of missile sites. There were also dozens of what looked like fighter bases on these moons. This star system was a virtual fortress.**

**In orbit around several of the planets and moons they found hundreds of ships of various sizes and configurations, some of which were of gigantic proportions. Apollo figured they were at least five times the size of the Galactica.**

**As they approached closer, Apollo opened a channel in an attempt to contact the Scorpion leaders.**

"**Galactica to Scorpius, do you read me? Scorpius control this is Commander Apollo aboard the Battlestar Galactica. Please respond."**

**Nothing.**

**Apollo glanced over to Sheba, who was monitoring the scanners. She shrugged her shoulders and gave him a slight smile as if to say "I don't know". Then he tried to raise the Scorpion's again. This time he got a response.**

"**Scorpius control to Battlestar Galactica, maintain course and speed. We have escorts in route. Scorpius control out!"**

"**Not very chatty, are they?" Sheba remarked.**

"**They don't appear to be, do they!" Apollo stated. "They say they have escorts in route, do you see any ships heading this way?"**

"**Nothing yet sir." Answered Ensign Lars, the new scanner officer on the Galactica. "But there is some movement around the fifth planet."**

**Apollo walked over to the scanner station and looked at the screen Sheba and Lars had been watching. He saw that several ships, including six of the big ones had started moving away from the planet and were now on an intercept course.**

"**Looks like we found our escort." Sheba said. **

"**Yea, but even at light speed, it will be nearly sixteen centars before we rendezvous with them. I wonder if ….." Apollo began before stopping in mid sentence.**

"**Did you see that?" Sheba said excitedly as one by one, the approaching vessels began to vanish from the Galactica's scanners. **

"**I see it, but I don't believe it. What's going on Lars? Why are those ships disappearing?" Apollo asked the equally confused scanner operator.**

"**I don't know sir! The scanners are working just fine. I can't explain why their not being picked up anymore." Lars told him. "I still have clear contact with the planets and the other ships, but those ships that were heading towards us are gone!"**

"**What do you suppose happened to them Apollo? They couldn't have just vanished!" Sheba said.**

"**I don't know. I've never seen anything like that before," Apollo answered. "but until we find out what happened, I want all ships to go to alert status. Have all squadrons on ten centon alert with one squadron at ready launch at all times."**

"**Will do! I'll notify the other ….." Sheba began when out of nowhere, ships began to materialize all around the fleet. A few microns later, the communications officer, Ensign Winrich told them they were being contacted. Apollo and Sheba moved to the command console to receive the transmission.**

**On the screen, the face of a man appeared that Apollo did not recognize, but knew to be that of a native of Scorpia. He had long black hair and a beard to match and his eyes were as black as obsidian. He reminded Apollo of the halo-image he had seen of Commander Dienikes.**

"**This is Commander Dieanicas of the Scorpion Warstar Alewndrinia. We are here to escort you to Scorpius. Are your ships equipped with trans-spaceial drive?"**

**Apollo and Sheba exchanged a confused glance before Apollo answered.**

"**Trans-spaceial drive, I'm afraid I don't know what that is?"**

**The man on the screen rolled his eyes somewhat and laughed.**

"**You haven't advanced much after all these yarhen, have you?" he said jokingly. "Well no matter. My orders are to bring you and your senior staff to Scorpius immediately." **

"**I see, I take it these orders came from Commander Leonitus?" Apollo asked, using the military rank instead of the royal title.**

"**Correct Commander, Commander Leonitus wishes to meet with you and your officers as soon as possible." Dieanicas said. "There is much to be discussed between your people and ours."**

**Apollo looked at Dieanicas suspiciously.**

"**What sort of things Commander?"**

**Dieanicas smiled slightly.**

"**My lord King Leonitus will speak with you about those matters Commander. Now if you please, I need you to have your senior staff report to your ship so we can take you to Scorpius."**

**Apollo stared at the man for several moments, then to Sheba he said, "Have all senior officers report to the Galactica immediately. Also ask President Tigh and the council if they are available to join us."**

**She nodded and went to relay the messages. Apollo turned back to Commander Dieanicas.**

"**My staff should be assembled in about ten centons. Will that be satisfactory Commander?" **

**Dieanicas smiled and affirmed, "That will be fine Commander. Contact me when your people arrive. Alewndrinia out!"**

**The screen went blank as Sheba returned.**

"**So what now?" she asked.**

"**We get the senior staff together then we find out what these people have in mind." Apollo said to her, then he turned to Sheba.**

"**I'm sending you to the Carpathia to take over command of the fleet."**

"**What! Why me?" she protested. **

"**Because you're my second in command and I can't afford to have all of our senior officers away from the fleet when we have no idea what these people want." Apollo told her. "I'm going to have all exec's stay with their ships as well while the commander's are away just in case."**

"**Are you expecting trouble from the Scorpion's" Sheba asked.**

"**No, but I'm not going to take any chances." He told her. "That's why I want my most experienced officer here so that if there is trouble, I can be sure things will be handled properly, understood?"**

"**Yes, I guess that makes sense." She said.**

"**Good, now understand this, you are to cooperate with our Scorpion friends and make no aggressive moves toward them, but under no circumstances are you to allow those people onboard any of the ships of the fleet. If they attempt to board or take over any ships, you are to defend yourselves with whatever means necessary to do so. Do you understand? Take no aggressive action unless they instigate it. I don't want to start a civil war with these people."**

"**I think we can handle it Apollo." She told him. "You just make sure you stay out of trouble!"**

**Apollo gave her a mock look of surprise before hugging her and sending her on her way.**

**Sheba left the Galactica in a Viper heading for the Carpathia while Boomer, Starbuck, Omega, Jolly, Deitra, Giles and Athena all were landing. She was greeted in the landing bay by Colonel Dykstra, the exec aboard the Carpathia. The two Warriors exchanged greetings and headed for the bridge.**

**On the Galactica, Apollo waited for the last of his staff to make their way to the bridge, then he contacted the Scorpion commander.**

"**Galactica to Alewndrina, do you read?" Apollo said. Almost before he had finished the image of Commander Dieanicas appeared on his screen. He had a serious frown on his face.**

"**You're three centons late!" He said sternly.**

**Apollo looked at Boomer and Starbuck, who were standing beside the console, then back to the Scorpion Commander.**

"**My apologies Commander, it took slightly longer then anticipated." Apollo said somewhat miffed.**

"**No matter, I need you to shut down your engines and scanners. Also I must insist you do not use your communications system while we are in transit." Dieanicas told Apollo in a tone that was more an order rather then a request.**

"**Would you mind telling me why?" Apollo asked.**

**Dieanicas rolled his eyes and sighed. **

"**You must do these things before we can grapple your ship and engage our trans-spaceial drive. Those systems on ships like yours have an …..adverse effect on our trans-spaceial drive system." **

**Apollo nodded slightly and said he would comply. Once the named systems were shut down, Apollo let Dieanicas know they were ready.**

"**Very well, stand by while we move the Alewndrina into position. Once we have attached our grapples, we will get underway. Once underway, do not attempt to use your communications system. Do you understand?"**

**Apollo nodded his head and told him he did.**

"**Good! Stand by." Dieanicas said. With that the screen went dark. Apollo looked up at the officers standing around him.**

"**Well, it looks like we're in the "hurry up and wait" mode now."**

"**So what's this "trans-spaceial drive" thing he mentioned?" Boomer asked.**

"**I don't know. It might be what allowed them to jump all the way from their star system to where we were in less then a centon." Apollo mussed. "If that's the case, these people are far more advanced then we are and that gives them a huge advantage." **

"**Yeah, I just hope they don't decide to use that advantage against us!" Starbuck said.**

**Just then the huge vessel that had been directly in front of them began moving towards them.**

"**Commander, you better have a look at this!" said Major Teal, the operations officer. **

**All eyes turned to the forward view screen. Apollo slowly stood as he watched the gigantic ship move slowly toward them. As it approached, it became more evident then ever that this vessel was larger then was previously believed, perhaps twice the original estimation. It moved slowly towards the Galactica and then sailed up and over them. Once it cleared the Galactica, the Alewndrina pivoted around and centered itself over the much smaller Battlestar. Slowly the ship closed the distance between its underside and the Galactica till it was no more the ten metrons above the Galactica. Once in position, several large "arms" came down from the Alewndrina and attached themselves to the Galactica. So large was the Alewndrina that it could have carried away a half dozen Battlestars with room to spare. Apollo wondered what it took to build one of these magnificent ships.**

"**Commander, message coming in. It's the Alewndrina." Said the communications officer, Ensign Winrich.**

**Apollo nodded and the image of Commander Dieanicas appeared on his screen.**

"**Stand by for trans-spaceial jump!" he said. "Secure your communications system now." **

"**What does he mean by "trans-spaceial jump"?" Starbuck asked.**

"**I don't know, but I think were about to find out!" Apollo said as he hit the switch to the inter-ship com system.**

"**All hands brace yourselves, this could be a bumpy ride!"**

**The giant Warstar began moving again, carrying the Galactica along as easily as a mother would carry a new born baby, accelerating away from the rest of the fleet heading toward the Scorpion star system. For several microns nothing seemed out of the ordinary as they picked up momentum, then suddenly everything seemed to start moving in slow motion. **

**Apollo was thrown back into his chair as if he had just stepped into a gravity chamber set to a hundred atmospheres. The chair he sat in creaked under the increased G-forces.**

**Starbuck felt himself being pulled away from the railing that he was holding onto as they accelerated. **

**Boomer could feel the increase in G-forces as he was smashed against the console he was standing next to. **

**Apollo managed to glance out the forward viewer and saw the stars flying by at an astonishing rate. He wondered if this is what a "trans-spaceial jump" was. Then just as suddenly as it started, they came gliding into orbit around the planet Scorpius.**

**Apollo struggled to regain his composure before trying to stand up. Once he had, he began issuing orders.**

"**Damage reports, all decks! OPS, I want status reports on all systems." Apollo ordered as his people began to recover from their ordeal. "Tactical, get me status reports from both landing bays. I want to know if they're still operational. Jolly, call down to the Life Center and find out if we had any serious injuries. Comms, anything from the Alewndrina?"**

"**Nothing as yet sir." Winrich said, still felling the effects of their little trip. **

"**What in Hades was that?" Boomer exclaimed as he peeled himself off the console.**

"**I'd say we just experienced our first "trans-spaceial jump!" Starbuck said as he rubbed his shoulder, having strained it slightly hanging onto the railing.**

"**I'd say you were right!" Apollo said as he listened to the reports coming in from around the Galactica. Ensign Winrich called over to Apollo at that moment.**

"**Commander, I have Commander Dieanicas on line." **

"**Good, I'll take it here." He said as he took his seat. The image of the Scorpion Commander appeared on his screen, the man smiling widely.**

"**Did you enjoy the journey Commander Apollo?" he asked happily.**

"**You could have warned us before hand Commander!" Apollo said angrily.**

"**Yes, I suppose I could have, but then you wouldn't have had the pleasure of experiencing our trans-spaceial drive without the benefit of the inertia inhibitors. It is an exhilarating experience, isn't it?" Dieanicas said, his smile growing by the micron.**

"**Maybe so, but I have over a hundred members of my crew down in the Life Center with injuries! Injuries that were totally unnecessary!" Apollo said hotly.**

**Dieanicas's smile faded somewhat at this.**

"**Any of them fatal Commander?" he asked.**

"**No, but they could have been!"**

"**My apologize Commander. I meant no harm, but it is a standard practice for our Warriors to experience a trans-spaceial jump without the benefit of inertia inhibitors being activated. It gives them a chance to see what it would be like if they were to experience inhibitor failure while at trans-spaceial speeds in battle."**

"**That's all well and good Commander, but since we are not familiar with this "trans-spaceial" technology, it would have been nice to know what to expect!" Apollo told him, his anger somewhat abated. **

"**Again I apologize Commander. I should have realized your vessel was not as advanced as ours and made allowances for this. It will not happen again." Dieanicas said to Apollo, then he spoke to someone out of view. "Contact Commander Fraitara and tell him to explain the effects of trans-spaceial jumps to our friends. Advise him that they do not have inertia inhibitors aboard their ships and he is to take extra precaution while transporting them."**

**With that done, Dieanicas turned back to Apollo.**

"**Your people will be well looked after Commander. They will not be given the "fast track" that you were!" Dieanicas said. "Let me know if they are misused during their transport and I will be sure to deal with those responsible…..personally!"**

"**Thank you Commander." Apollo said.**

"**Now, with your permission, I would like to send one of our shuttles over to your ship to transfer you and your officers to the Great Hall where Commander Leonitus awaits."**

"**By all means Commander, my staff and I are looking forward to it." Apollo told him.**

"**Good, our shuttle will be in your Alpha landing bay in twenty centons. I look forward to meeting you Commander. Alewndrinia out!"**

**The screen went dark.**

**Apollo turned to the others, "Well, looks like their not wanting to waste any time, so I suggest you all go and change into your dress uniforms and meet in the landing bay in fifteen centons." Then to Starbuck he added, "Try not to be late!"**

**This got a few chuckles as the senior officers left the bridge to change. Apollo turned to Major Teal.**

"**Alright Teal, I'm leaving her in your hands. You know the drill, any problems, contact me immediately."**

"**Don't worry Commander, I'll keep her safe and sound for you!"**

**Apollo smiled and patted him on the shoulder, then he left to change into his own dress uniform.**

**Fifteen centons later most of the senior staff were waiting in Alpha landing bay when Apollo walked in, all that is except for Starbuck. Apollo looked around and seeing that his oldest and dearest friend was missing, he shook his head and chuckled.**

"**Why am I not surprised?" he said to Boomer and Jolly, who was plucking lint from his tunic. **

**Just then the landing bay controller announced that the Scorpion shuttle was on final approach. Apollo glanced around the landing bay again, hoping to see Starbuck but not seeing him. He called the assembled officers to attention.**

**A centon later an ominous looking vessel could be seen entering the landing bay and gliding toward the staging area. It was much larger and sleeker then the "box like" shuttles their fleet had, looking more like a fighter then a shuttle. It was also painted black and a deep, dark shade of purple which would make it nearly impossible to see in space. As it neared, Apollo noticed it also sported two sets of laser canons. **

**As the Galactica's officers stood enthralled with this wondrous craft, Starbuck came running up from the turbo lift, still trying to fasten his collar. He stopped next to Boomer just as the Scorpion shuttle taxied up to where they were standing.**

"**Nice of you to join us Starbuck!" Apollo chided, casting a disapproving glance his way. "I hope we aren't inconveniencing you."**

"**It's not my fault!" he exclaimed as he finally got his collar fastened. "My uniform must have shrunk or something!"**

**This got a snicker from both Boomer and Jolly, but Apollo only frowned, saying, "I don't think your uniform shrunk Starbuck, I think you've been enjoying command a little bit too much!"**

**This brought even more laughter to the others as Starbuck tried to retain some small scrape of dignity as he tried adjusting his tunic. **

**By this time the Scorpion shuttle had stopped in the staging area. The hatch opened and a man Apollo recognized as Commander Dieanicas stepped out. He glanced around the landing bay for a moment before his eyes fell upon the assemblage of officers. Dieanicas smiled and marched forward with a stride that exuded confidence and authority. Apollo and the others were all quit impressed by the man.**

**He was a fair bit shorter then Apollo and the others, as was the norm for the Scorpion people, but was also very strongly built with thick, muscular arms and legs, no doubt built up by long yahren of constant and intensive training. **

**Starbuck began to squirm a bit in his somewhat tight tunic.**

**Several other men exited the ship behind Dieanicas and followed him as he approached Apollo. As he stepped close, he threw open his arms and embraced Apollo in a hug that nearly crushed his ribs and knocked the wind out of him. Then Dieanicas released him and held him by the shoulders at arms length.**

"**I bid you greetings from all of Scorpius! Too long have we been separated from you my brother." Dieanicas said. **

**Apollo regained his composure quickly and returned the greeting.**

"**I agree, it has been too long." **

"**Yes, but now we have been reunited and can go on to what I'm sure will be a grand and glorious future. But first things first, Commander Apollo, if you and your officers will board the shuttle, we can be on our way."**

**Apollo nodded and turned to the others.**

"**Commander Boomer, see that our people get on board please."**

**Boomer nodded and gave the order to board the shuttle. The Galactica's officers broke ranks and proceeded to the Scorpion shuttle, following the men that had come with Dieanicas while he and Apollo stood and talked.**

"**I tell you Commander Apollo, it is a great day for our people on Scorpius. Ever since we found your Commander Bojay, our entire populace has been celebrating!" Dieanicas said as he looked over the landing bay. "We feared that we would never find our way home."**

"**Your way home?" Apollo inquired. **

**Dieanicas turned to Apollo with a smile and said, "Yes, you know, to the colonies and our people."**

"**Ah yes!" Apollo replied.**

"**Your ship is amazing Commander." Dieanicas said. "There were a dozen Battlestars in the Second Fleet when they left the Colonies, but only two of them survived, and none of them were as large as this."**

"**The Galactica was one of the largest Battlestars ever built by the Colonies." Apollo explained. "After her, they started making them smaller due to the cost. As it turned out, she was the last of her kind."**

"**Really, how so?" Dieanicas asked.**

**Apollo looked at him sideways.**

"**Didn't Commander Bojay tell you?" **

"**No, your Commander Bojay didn't tell much about the Colonies except that they are no longer ours." Dieanicas said with obvious anger. "He told us that you would tell us the story of how the Colonies fell to the Cylons. This is why Commander Leonitus is anxious to meet with you. He wants to know what happened and what we're going to do about it!"**

"**I'm afraid there is little we can do Commander." Apollo said sadly. "The Cylons are too powerful for us to take on."**

**Dieanicas smiled slyly and said, "That may have been true before Commander, but tis a brand new day and anything is possible!"**

**With that, Dieanicas led Apollo onto the shuttle. The hatch closed and within a centon, it was on its way to Scorpius.**


	18. Reunited

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Reunited**

The shuttle landed at the Scorpion aerodrome on the outskirts of a large city with an almost unperceivable thud. Once the engines were shutdown, the hatch opened allowing the passengers to exit the craft. To the surprise of the Galactica officers, a thunderous applause began from the hundreds of people that were waiting to greet the new arrivals. They waved to the crowd as they made their way toward a large, wheeled vehicle not too far from the shuttle.

"What's all this about Commander?" Apollo asked, indicating the throngs of people surrounding the landing area and lining the walkways of the nearby buildings.

"The people rejoice at your arrival Commander!" Dieanicas said happily. "They have been in celebration since they learned of your coming."

"Why is that Commander?" Apollo asked.

"Because Commander, for the first time in nearly four centuries we meet people from the colonies. Now we will be able to find out what news of the colonies and the war!" Dieanicas told him. "We have been on our own for so long, it is good to see people outside of our own system."

Apollo nodded at this, knowing what the Commander was saying.

"Meeting up with you and your people has given a great spark of exuberance to our people. It will be good to return to the home worlds of our ancestors!" Dieanicas told him. "Our people have dreamed of little else but to return to the Colonies."

"I see." Apollo said softly. "Of course you know that the Colonies are in the hands of the Cylons now!"

"That may be true for now Commander, but my Lord King Leonitus has no intentions of letting things stay that way." Dieanicas said with great emotion.

"What do you mean by that Commander?"

Dieanicas turned to Apollo with what appeared to be an expression of anger on his face, his patience at being questioned by this "Colonial" wearing thin, then he smiled and said to Apollo, "I'm sure my Lord King Leonitus will explain everything to you ….. Commander! Will you excuse me for a moment?"

Without waiting for a response, Dieanicas marched off to speak with one of his officers.

Apollo said nothing more. He cast a glance over to where Boomer and Starbuck were standing, waiting to board the strange looking conveyance, and knew they had heard the conversation between Commander Dieanicas and himself. They stepped over to where he was.

"What was that all about?" Boomer asked.

"I think I know what our Scorpion friends want from us!" Apollo said quietly. "The Commander kind of let the felis out of the bag and let it slip that they want to return to the Colonies."

"Is he serious?" Starbuck exclaimed. "Doesn't he realize the Colonies are under Cylon control?"

"He knows Starbuck, but I think that these people have it in mind to try and take the Colonies back!" Apollo said.

"That's crazy!" Starbuck said, his voice rising slightly. "They'll get themselves killed!"

"I know, but what can we do? We have no authority to stop them."

Just then Commander Dieanicas called to the three senior Warriors and asked them to board the transport. Apollo waved a hand and began walking over, telling Boomer and Starbuck to keep their conversation secret.

Once they were on board the transport, it began rolling away at a surprisingly rapid pace toward the center of the city. The Galactica's officers were amazed at what they saw as they approached the city. There were agro fields that stretched off to the horizon with crops and livestock aplenty. It reminded Apollo of the agro communities he use to see on Caprica and Pisceria.

As they neared the city, the landscape changed from one of green fields to a more urban setting. Large groups of houses were everywhere, with wide lanes running in all directions. It wasn't long before the housing communities gave way to the city proper. The Galacticans were speechless as they came within sight of the full city.

Huge buildings seemed to have sprouted up out of the very ground and rise to unimaginable heights as they came up over a small rise of hills and entered a wide valley. As far as the eye could see, there were buildings of every size and shape bisected by wide lanes of traffic. Vehicles of many types sped by the one they were in, heading to and from the city. Something that caught all the Galacticans attention was that all the vehicles were riding on wheels! They hadn't realized it till then, but they had not seen a single hovermobile or flyer since arriving.

The ride was a quiet one, no one saying much as the Galacticans marveled at the wondrous city until their vehicle pulled into a plaza in front of a group of gigantic, cylindrical buildings that made up a vast complex. Apollo strained his neck trying to see the top of the centermost tower, but was unable to see it from his seat.

"Do you believe this place?" Starbuck whispered. "These buildings are taller then the ones on Caprica!"

"Yeah, looks like our hosts have made a pretty good life for themselves here over the past four centuries!" Boomer remarked.

The vehicle came to a stop in front of one of the buildings where a huge door slid open, allowing them to drive inside to a large parking area. The vehicle came to a smooth stop near a bank of what appeared to be turbolifts.

"Commander, if you and your officers will follow me I'll take you to my Lord King's office." Dieanicas said, his good natured smile firmly back in place.

The Galactican officers followed Dieanicas to the turbolifts and boarded the car once the door opened. The doors then slid shut and the turbolift began to ascend at a fearfully high rate of speed. Several of the Galacticans, Apollo included were a bit nauseated by the quick trip. Dieanicas cast a sideways glance at Apollo and quietly smiled and laughed to himself thinking, "These Colonies bred people are so soft, they would never make it as Scorpion Warriors!"

After what seemed like a secton to Apollo and the others, the lift slowed to a stop. The doors slid open and Dieanicas stepped out into a long, wide alcove with banks of turbolifts on three walls and an open area facing onto a central atrium.

"Come this way." Dieanicas said gruffly as he led the group from the turbolift and out onto the walk way that circled the inner core of the building. Apollo and Starbuck walked over to the railing and looked down. They couldn't believe how high up they were!

"I'd hate to take a wrong step from up here!" Starbuck whispered.

"You'd only do it once buddy!" Apollo said with a slap on Starbuck's shoulder, then the two Warriors hustled along to catch up with the rest of the group.

Dieanicas led them to a pair of large, ornate doors that depicted what Apollo believed was some great victory from the Scorpion past. The doors swung slowly open as Dieanicas approached, revealing a large, high ceilinged hall. The group entered the hall, their footsteps echoing as they went, heading for another set of doors at the far end. This door was guarded by a pair of sentries wearing old style Scorpion uniforms and carrying a variety of weapons.

Dieanicas stop several metrons from the sentries and told the Apollo and his officers to wait there for a moment while he announced their arrival. He then proceeded forward, exchanging a few words with the sentries before passing thru the doors. Apollo and the others stood silently, waiting for their escort return.

They looked about the hall, admiring the beautiful architecture and the large number of old style "paintings" that adorned the walls. Most showed scenes of great battles or war ships sailing in formation above unknown planets. There was one in particular that showed what could only have been the capital city of Scorpius, Lacedaemon. It had a profound effect on the Galactican Warriors. It was at that moment that Dieanicas returned and bid them to follow him into the next room.

When they entered the room, they found a lushly appointed office with plush carpets and hand carved furnishing. Dozens of exquisite tapestries hung from the walls and the ceiling had a mural painted on it that was of the quality and grandeur of those seen in great houses of worship on Caprica. The whole office was awe-inspiring!

Apollo took all this in before his gaze feel upon the man seated behind the desk at the far end of the room, a man he recognized from his previous conversation.

He was busy talking to another man that Apollo did not recognize, but assumed from his attire that he was a high ranking civilian. As they approached, the pair concluded their talk and swung their attention to the newcomers.

"My lord king," Dieanicas began, "I present to you Commander Apollo of the Colonial Battlestar Galactica. Commander Apollo, I present to you, his royal highness, King Leonitus."

Apollo took several steps forward, then bowed his head, saying, "Greetings Lord King, On behalf of the people of the Galactican fleet, I greet you as a brother of Kobol."

Leonitus rose from his seat and made his way around the desk to stand face to face with Apollo. He was half a head shorter then Apollo and perhaps thirty yahren his senior, but the power of this mans presence was undeniable. Apollo felt as if he were a raw cadet called before the commandant of the Caprican Military Academy, the man exuded such presence.

Leonitus stopped directly in front of Apollo and stared him in the eyes for a moment, his face an unreadable mask. After what seemed an eternity to Apollo, he extended his hand and clasped Apollo's arm in the customary greeting of the Colonial Warrior.

"Greetings Commander, and welcome to Scorpius." He said in somewhat heavily accented Colonial standard. "I have been looking forward to this meeting since we came across your Commander Bojay!"

"Speaking of Bojay, where is he?" Starbuck whispered to Boomer.

Leonitus turned to Starbuck and said, "I have already sent for your friend Commander…..?"

"Allow me to introduce my senior staff." Apollo said quickly before Starbuck could say anything else.

"This is Commander Starbuck, commander of the Battlestar Carpathia." Apollo said indicating Starbuck.

"The Carpathia?" Leonitus said, casting a glance at Commander Dieanicas. "That was the ship your great Grandsire commanded Commander Dieanicas.

"Yes lord king." He said with a bow, then to Starbuck he said, "I would appreciate the opportunity to visit the Carpathia Commander."

"Anytime you like Commander." Starbuck said with a slight smile.

Apollo continued down the line of officers, introducing each of them to Leonitus, who seemed very interested in each of their backgrounds and expertise as Warriors. Once the introductions were finished, Leonitus asked the Galactica officers to follow him into a conference room where they could sit down and talk at length about the many topics that were going thru the minds of both groups.

The conference room they entered looking more like the "War room" aboard the Galactica then a conference room. It was much larger then the Galactica's and was manned by a large number of Warriors who were monitoring stations in a huge gallery on the other side of a glass wall. The Galactica officers were amazed at the intricate design and functionality of the Scorpion command center with its huge display monitors and three dimensional maps of the star system from which they could keep track all the ships in their space.

As Leonitus made his way to the head of the table, he touched a small panel on the wall next to the glass wall causing it to slowly change from transparent to opaque, thus blocking the view of the command center.

Leonitus waved Apollo and the others to be seated as he sat down in his seat. A few moments later, the door to the room opened and several officers and civilians walked in, among them, Bojay.

The new arrivals moved to the seats on the opposite side of the table from the Galactican officers. They all stood there for a moment, turned toward Leonitus and bowed. Leonitus returned the gesture and waved them to be seated. They quickly took their seats. Leonitus turned to Apollo.

"Commander Apollo, allow me to introduce the members of my council. This is Commander Dieanicas, whom you've already meet. He is my second in command and Commander of the Warstar Alewndrina, the ship that brought you here. Next to him is my chief advisor, First Minister Solon. Next are my senior military advisors, Commanders Alexois, Atreus, Ptolemy and Teris. They command the various divisions of our military. Next to them is my Minister of Justice, Demokritos and the large fellow on the end is my chief of staff, Makedon."

The officers nodded to their Colonial counterparts as they were introduced.

"And of course you know your own Commander Bojay!" he added jokingly.

Everyone laughed as Bojay greeted his comrades and then took his seat.

Leonitus began to speak.

"Commander, I know you must have a thousand questions you'd like to ask of us, as we do you. But before we get down to such serious matters as that, I'd like to invite you and all your people to join us in celebration as we celebrate the reunification of our two great peoples. After nearly four hundred yahren, we Scorpions have been on our own with no contact with our brothers, but now, we will finally be rejoined with the sons of Kobol."

Apollo looked down the table at the rest of his comrades then back to Leonitus.

"We would be honored to join you and your people sir." Apollo told him. "It's been nearly twenty yahren since our people have had an opportunity to get off their ships and truly relax and enjoy themselves."

"Excellent! Once all of your ships have been transported here we can set up a rotation of relief crews for your vessels."

"With all due respect Lord King, I'd feel better if I had my own people stand the watches aboard our ships." Apollo said, quickly adding, "They're more familiar with the systems."

Leonitus's face darkened somewhat at this, but he said nothing, only nodding his assent, then he moved on to another subject.

"So tell us Commander, what is this place you and your people are heading for? Commander Bojay could not tell us much about your destination, only that it was called "Earth". What is this "Earth"?"

"Well Commander, according to the Book of the Word, Earth is the name of the planet that the thirteenth tribe of Kobol colonized during the exodus from Kobol. My father believed that if we could find the thirteenth tribe, they might be able to assist us in our fight with the Cylons. Unfortunately, he didn't live to see that happen."

Leonitus nodded his head slowly, understanding what Apollo was feeling, then he said, "I remember this story now, but I always thought that was a just a legend, is not the thirteenth tribe of Kobol a myth?"

"My father believed it was real. He spent a good part of his life reading thru the old tombs and scrolls on Caprica before the holocaust looking for information as to the existence of the thirteenth tribe and its location. When the Cylons destroyed our worlds, he believed in it strongly enough to try and find them."

"I see, so have you an idea as to where they are?" Leonitus asked.

"We have a good idea of what course they traveled, you see, twenty three yahren ago we encountered a race of advanced beings that gave us information about the thirteenth tribe and a general course to follow. Since that time, we've found trace's of human presence having traveled along that course in the distant past, but we still don't know for sure if it was the thirteenth tribe or just some long forgotten expedition. Whatever the case, we knew we couldn't go back to the Colonies, not with the Cylons there."

Leonitus nodded.

"Then we found the ships left behind by the Second Colonial Fleet. When we found the directions left behind by Commander Dienekes, we followed them until we found you."

"Advanced beings you say?" Leonitus asked skeptically. "Are you sure you can trust these "advanced beings"? They may have sent you off on a wild avian chase!"

Apollo smiled slightly as he cast a glance toward Starbuck, who was also smiling and said, "I think the people that gave us this information can be trusted."

Leonitus nodded his head slowly, not sure what to think about these "advanced beings" the Galactica's Commander was speaking of. Then he continued.

"You said you found the ships left by our ancestors? Where did you find them?"

"We found them in a giant cloud of space dust some six sectars travel from here at light speed." Apollo told him.

Leonitus's face lost some of its color at hearing this. He quickly turned to Dieanicas and said something in a hushed tone, then turned back to Apollo.

"This dust cloud you speak of, does its span seem to go on forever in all directions, as if a curtain had been pulled across space?"

Apollo nodded his head.

"Indeed it does. As a matter of fact, even with our advanced scanners, we were unable to find the edges of it!"

Leonitus nodded his head, saying, "We know of this dust cloud. We have sent a number of expeditions into this cloud to see what was there and beyond. Unfortunately most of them never returned."

"What happened to them?" Starbuck asked.

"We don't know, they were never seen or heard from again, not even a piece of wreckage was found." Leonitus told him. "Since the last expedition was lost some hundred yahren ago, we've not sent anymore. The cost in ships and Warriors was too great!"

A moment of silence followed that statement as each Warrior thought about all the brave men and women that had disappeared on those ill fated missions. Then Leonitus continued.

"How many ships of the Second Fleet did you find Commander?"

"We found a total of thirty seven ships, though we were only able to salvage eleven of them. The rest were either too badly damaged to be salvaged or were blocked in by other ships, we felt it would be unwise to try and move them."

Leonitus nodded his head slowly then asked, "Do you have a list of the ships you found and of those ships you were able to salvage Commander?"

Apollo nodded as Ensign Sabo handed him a small folder.

"This is a complete listing of all the ships we found and their condition. We sent teams aboard each ship to evaluate wither they could be salvaged and to gather up what personal effects we could of the former crews, just in case we were able to find you. We thought your people would appreciate having them for their "Chains"."

Each member of the Scorpion contingent sat up straight in their chairs with looks of astonishment on their faces! They could not believe what Apollo had just said.

"You know about the "Chains" Commander?" Leonitus asked somewhat shaken.

"Yes sir we do, thanks to Ensign Sabo here." Apollo said, indicating the young officer seated behind him. "He's the one that told us about the Scorpion "Chains of Life"."

All eyes turned to the young man Apollo had indicated. Leonitus rose slowly from his seat, followed by the other members of the Scorpion delegation. Then they all came to attention and saluted the junior officer. This brought some confused looks from the other Galactica officers.

"Ensign Sabo, Commander Apollo, you honor us with this act of extreme thoughtfulness!" Leonitus said. "Few people outside of the Scorpion culture could understand what this gesture means to us."

Sabo blushed slightly and muttered a simple "You're welcome sir."

Leonitus saw the questioning looks on the faces of the Galactican officers so he began to explain.

"I see that you are confused by this gentlemen, let me try and explain." He began. "We of Scorpion decent believe that there is an unbroken chain that runs thru each of us. It connects us to every member of our family stretching back to the days of Kobol and beyond. This chain we call the "Chain of Life" and it is represented by a personal item, usually a weapon or piece of jewelry that are passed down from one generation to the next."

The Galactica officers were beginning to understand.

"When our forefathers were forced to abandon most of their ships, they had to leave behind nearly every personal item they had, including their "chains". This was a most difficult decision for my great grandsire, King Leonidas to make, but it was unavoidable. In truth, it is my belief that he had always intended on returning to reclaim those ships and their treasures."

"Why do you suppose he didn't?" Apollo asked.

Leonitus shrugged his broad shoulders and said, "Who can say? There are no records of my great grandsire ever sending out any expeditions to retrieve them. It's as if he forgot they were out there."

"You said there were several expeditions sent into the cloud. If Leonidas didn't send them, who did?"

"My grandsire, Leonardus sent the first. That was about two hundred thirty yahren ago, shortly after King Leonidas died in a shuttle accident."

"Two hundred thirty yahren ago? How old was Leonidas? I mean if he was around fifty when they left the Colonies……" Starbuck blurted out before he could stop himself. He glanced around at the others and found them staring at him with looks that ranged from anger and disgust to totally amused. The normally brash Starbuck sank back in his seat and mumbled a simple, "Sorry!"

Apollo was furious with his friend's lack of protocol. He was about to admonish him when he heard Leonitus chuckling. Apollo turned to see Leonitus looking at Starbuck with the same amused look one gives a child that says something totally unexpected at the worse possible moment.

"Your are a most impetuous man Commander Starbuck! You remind me much of one of my own commanders, Commander Polinikes. He too has trouble restraining himself." Leonitus said with a bit of a bite. "But no matter, in answer to your question Commander, my great grandsire was two hundred and twelve yahrens old when he crashed his shuttle. From what we were able to piece together, the stabilizing gyro failed just as he was landing. His ship crashed. There were no survivors."

"I'm sorry for your loss Lord King." Apollo said softly, then added, "You said "HE" crashed his shuttle? You mean King Leonidas was piloting the shuttle?"

"That's right Commander, King Leonidas would never allow anyone else to fly a ship he was on. He always had to be at the controls."

Wasn't that somewhat risky, I mean, at his age, was it wise to let him keep flying?" Apollo asked.

"In most cases, we would insist that a Warrior be taken off flight status once they reach the age of one hundred and fifty yahren, but in King Leonidas's case, the records showed that even at the age of two hundred and twelve, he scored amongst the top of all our Warriors in both shuttles and fighters. That was only three sectons before the crash. He even would take on regular patrols from time to time. So you see Commander, there was no need for him not to fly. The crash that killed him was caused by a mechanical failure, not pilot error."

"I'm curious, how is it that your people came to be so far from the colonies?" asked Apollo.

"That Commander is a tale worth the telling." Leonitus said and thus began telling the tale of the Second Fleet. "It all started about a yahren before the Second Fleet departed, when word came to my great grandsire that the Cylons were getting ready to invade the sector known as Thermopylae. Thermopylae was as you know a very important strategic sector as it was a prime source of Tylium."

Starbuck leaned over to Apollo and whispered, "Should we tell him that Thermopylae has been in Cylon hands for the past three hundred and eighty yahren?"

Apollo gave Starbuck a sideways glance and shook his head slightly as he listened to Leonitus's story.

"The fleet set sail from Scorpia with over seven hundred ships, including twelve "Olympia" class Battlestars, which were the top of the line in those days and another score of the older "Alexandria" class Battlestars in support. It was said that my great grandsire did not like the "Olympia" class Battlestars because they were "too" modern and didn't "feel" like true war ships. That was why he and most of his senior Commanders kept their old "Alexandria" class ships."

This brought smiles and a few chuckles from the assembled officers. Leonitus continued.

"They set course for the Pythios Nebula in the hopes of heading off the Cylon invasion fleet before they could establish a toe-hold in Thermopylae. The plan was, as I have read in the records of the battle, to set up an ambush in the nebula and then send a small force out to bring the Cylons to it."

Apollo nodded his head, understanding the genius of the plan.

"The nebula would mask their ships from the Cylon scanners."

Leonitus smiled and nodded to Apollo as he continued.

"That's correct Commander, unfortunately the Cylons had already thought of that. You see, when the Second fleet arrived at the nebula, they spotted a small fleet of Cylon ships, perhaps a hundred or so, that had made their way thru the nebula and was heading toward them. When the Cylons picked up our fleet on their scanners, they turned back as if to flee, but it was a ruse. They were the bait to a Cylon ambush!"

The members of the Galactica contingent all sat up straight in their seats at hearing this. Starbuck again spoke out before Apollo could say anything.

"They did what King Leonidas was going to do!"

Leonitus cast a glance at Starbuck and said, "Yes, they did exactly what we were going to do to them. Unfortunatley for us they arrived at the nebula first."

Leonitus gave a heavy sigh and went on, the sadness in his voice heavy.

"It was at that time that King Leonidas made one of the few mistakes of his career for he sent the fleet headlong in pursuit of the Cylons and directly into their trap. Before he knew it, they were surrounded by over a thousand Cylon warships including over a hundred of the Cylons top of the line Baseships. They came out of the nebula, each one launching hundreds of their newest fighter craft, fighters that had twice the speed and firepower of our Scarab and Asp fighters. Add to that the hundreds of support craft, well; needless to say, the tide of battle quickly went against our forces."

"What did they do?" Starbuck asked like a child listening to his father's telling of a great tale.

"Well, thou it pained him to do so, King Leonidas was forced to pull back his forces, lest they be annihilated."

Leonitus leaned back in his seat, staring at the ceiling, as if seeing the events of the past as he continued his tale.

"So the call went out for the fleet to fall back and regroup near Rimas Prime, one of the major planets in the Thermopylae sector. There King Leonidas hoped to organize a counterattack and turn the tides back in his favor, but the Cylons pursued them relentlessly, never giving them the chance to regroup. After several centars of fierce fighting, it was obvious that the Second Fleet was doomed and that the only way for any of them to survive was for Leonidas to order all ships into a full retreat, a thing that no Scorpion commander had ever done!"

This last part he added with great sadness, then he continued.

"And so, he ordered the fleet to take whatever actions they needed to to evade their merciless enemies and make their way back to Colonial space. He then took what was left of his battle group, five Battlestars and about sixty support ships in all, and in an attempt to pull the main force of Cylons away from the rest of the fleet, he attacked the command Baseship."

"Sixty five ships against a command Baseship! Those things usually have an escort of around two hundred ships!" Apollo said, the surprise in his voice quiet evident.

Leonitus nodded and said, "Indeed Commander, but even with the odds so out of balance, King Leonidas knew that if he did not try and divert the Cylons attention away from the fleet, they would all perish. So, without hesitation, they flew straight into the maw of the beast!"

The Galactican Warriors shook their heads in amazement at the audacity and courage of the Second Fleet's commander and crews. Leonitus continued.

"The attack by our forces caught the Cylons totally unaware as they had expected our fleet to break and run. When the Spartica and the other ships under King Leonidas's command came about and surged forward, the Cylon command Baseship did not open fire, but simply sat motionless in space, as if the fleet commander did not realize its ship was coming under attack. That delay ended up costing them greatly."

Leonitus stood up and began pacing around the room as he spoke.

"King Leonidas and Commander Dienekes struck the command Baseship with a barrage of missiles and laser fire that ripped the giant ship to pieces. The protective screen of Baseships and Battlecruisers attempted to protect the command ship but they too had been caught off guard and were unable to put up an adequate defense. The Destroyers under King Leonidas command opened a huge gape in the defensive perimeter allowing the Spartica and the Carpathia to slip thru and destroy the command ship."

"Glorious!" Sabo said softly from behind Apollo, not realizing that he had spoken aloud.

Apollo and Starbuck both turned in their seats and looked at the young man.

"Indeed it was my young friend." Leonitus said with an approving smile. Then he turned back to Apollo and continued.

"After they had successfully destroyed the command Baseship, King Leonidas gave orders for all ships to proceed at light speed to the Pythios Nebula where he hoped to lose the Cylon pursuit. But they never made it to the Nebula!" Leonitus said with a soft tone to his voice. "As they tried to make good their escape, something very strange happened."

Leonitus stopped speaking at this point, staring out one of the windows, but not seeing the view. He was seeing the events of that day oh so long ago being played out before his eyes. After several moments of silence, Apollo spoke.

"Are you alright Lord King?"

Apollo's voice brought Leonitus's thoughts back to the present and he continued.

"My apologize gentlemen, I find that when I think too hard about the stories of our past, my mind has taken to the habit of taking me there with remarkably clear and vivid recollections."

"Totally understandable Lord King!" Dieanicas said, glancing around at the others with a look that warned all that they should say nothing. Then to Leonitus he said, "Please sire, continue with the tale."

Leonitus nodded and continued.

"As the ships of the Second Fleet sped away with the Cylon fleet in full pursuit, King Leonidas wrote in his report that "The maw of space opened wide before us, and a great whirlpool appeared. We were unable to avoid the opening as it appeared so suddenly before us, and as we entered the swirling tunnel, time and space seemed to converge upon us and in the blink of an eye, we were away."

Leonidas paused for a moment as he looked around the table. The faces of those present all held the same amazed and expectant expression. He continued.

"In less time then it takes to launch an Asp from the flight deck, we returned to normal space, only this was not the same space we had been in just microns before. The stars we gazed upon were not those we were so familiar with, but those of some alien system. There were no navigational signals from which to pick a course, no star geometrics to gain a bearing from ……. nothing that we could use to aid us in learning our whereabouts. Even the whirlpool that had brought us to this foreign universe had disappeared, closing in upon itself just as the last of our ships emerged, leaving not a single trace of its existence."

"That is how King Leonidas reported the incident that brought our people to this far distant corner of space." Leonitus told them.

"What did they do after they found themselves stranded here?" Starbuck asked.

"From what I've read of the records dealing with that time, they spent the first few days here searching for the whirlpool that had brought them to this sector of space, but were unable to find any trace of it. After nearly a secton of searching, King Leonidas decided that there was little hope of finding the phenomenon that had brought them here so he had the fleet make course back along the direction they had been on when they had entered the whirlpool in the hope that they might be able to retrace the route they had been taken on. But instead of finding their way back to familiar space, they came upon the dust cloud that you and your people found."

Apollo leaned forward and listened intently.

"The records tell us that King Leonidas followed the clouds perimeter for well over a sectar, sending several ships all directions along its perimeter in search of a way around it, but none was ever found. When no way around could be found, King Leonidas sent a task force of six ships, led by the Battlestar Andromeda into the cloud. They had been inside the cloud no more then a ten centons when all contact was lost. A destroyer was sent in to search for the missing ships, but it too disappeared. A third ship, the Gunstar Typhius was sent in and like those before, it too vanished without a trace. It was at that point that King Leonidas decided it would be foolish to send anymore ships into the cloud, so he abandoned trying to go thru the cloud and continued along its perimeter."

"Did you ever find out what happened to all those ships that went into the cloud?" Starbuck asked.

"No Commander, no trace of them was ever found." Leonitus stated flatly. Then he continued.

"After another sectar, a new problem arose in the fleet. Their fuel supply was beginning to run low. King Leonidas brought the fleet to a standstill and conferred with his senior staff as to what course of action they should take. After much discussion it was decided that a large portion of the fleet would have to be left behind."

A collective sigh was all that could be heard as Leonitus paused for a moment, then he went on.

"It was decided that only two Battlestar's, the Spartica and the Arcadia, along with one Gunstar would continue on along with all the fuel tankers and supply ships. They would transfer all of the fuel, weapons, spare parts and fighters, Asp's and Scarab's they could carry to the ships they were keeping and then seal and move those ships being left behind into the dust cloud where they could be retrieved at a later date. At least that was the plan. For some unknown reason however, they never went back to retrieve them. It is my belief that the location of the abandoned ships was lost somehow. After a time, I believe that King Leonidas simply forgot them."

The room was silent for several long moments, then before anyone could speak, a young officer entered the room from a door leading in from the command center they had seen earlier. The officer walked over to Leonitus, saluted and handed him a sheet of paper. Leonitus looked it over, nodded to the young man, who saluted and then departed. Leonitus turned to where Apollo sat and said, "It seems the rest of your fleet has arrived Commander. If you would like, you may return to your ships and make whatever preparations you need before we begin our celebrations."

Apollo stood and bowed, saying, "I think we should be getting back to our duties Lord King. There are a great many things that need to be done before the celebration tonight. With your permission Lord King?"

Leonitus stood up, prompting the others to stand as well, and walked around the table to grasp Apollo's wrist in a Warriors handshake.

"Then go my friend. Take care of your charges, and when you are ready, contact my aide and he will arrange your transportation to the Great Hall!"

Leonitus motioned to an officer that had stood silently at one end of the room during the meeting and he in turn motioned for the Galactican officers to follow him. As the Galactican officers followed the Scorpion officer out of the room, Dieanicas stepped closer to Leonitus and began to speak.

"Why did you not ask them, my lord?"

Leonitus turned to his friend and told him, "All in good time my friend, all in good time. First we must gain their trust. Once we have done that, then we will get that which we desire."

Leonitus slapped his friend on the shoulder and said, "For now, we make friends with these Colonials and learn as much as we can. Now go and ready yourself for the celebration. I believe this could be the most important night of our lives!


	19. Decisions

Battlestar Galactica

Past, Present, Future

Chapter 19

Decisions

The night sky was brightly lit by the glow of fireworks as the people of Scorpius celebrated the arrival of the survivors from the Colonies. Everywhere one looked could be found people dancing and singing as they welcomed the people of the Galactican fleet. The mood was one of purest happiness and joy.

In the Great Hall of the Royal Palace, that mood was echoed as the cream of Scorpion society crowded about the officers and dignitaries of the Galactican fleet. In attendance that night were President Tigh and all the members of the Council of the Twelve, most of the senior Warrior staff of the fleet and numerous other members of the civilian government. Most were enjoying the festivities to their fullest, all that is but a small group that did not seem so jovial.

President Tigh, Apollo, Boomer, Sheba and Boxey seemed a bit more reserved then those around them in their celebrations. They had been shown to a table at the front of the room when they arrived, right next to the King's table, being told that King Leonitus and his staff would be along shortly and that they were to make themselves comfortable and enjoy the celebration. They took their seats and with the exception of Starbuck, who had with Cassiopeia joined the festivities, kept to themselves for the most part, aside from the occasional well wisher that would wander over to greet them or the serving staff that brought them refreshments, otherwise they spoke in hushed tones amongst themselves.

"Their putting on quite the party, wouldn't you say Apollo?" Tigh remarked as he carefully surveyed the crowd.

"Yes sir. They certainly are." Apollo remarked, as he caught a glimpse of Starbuck and Cassiopeia moving thru the crowd. He shook his head slightly watching his friend. "It looks as if our people are enjoying themselves as well!"

Tigh followed the direction of Apollo's stare and saw Starbuck as well.

"Starbuck always was one for parties." He said.

Apollo chuckled at this and continued to scan the room. Then he leaned over to Tigh and asked, "Have you made any decision on whether or not we should tell them how to get back to the Colonies sir?"

Tigh looked at Apollo with a sideways glance and sighed heavily.

"Not as yet Apollo. I find myself going around in circles over the issue." He began. "On one hand, I feel as if we'd be sending these people to their deaths if we were to tell them the way back to the Colonies, and yet, I also believe that they should have the right to make their own decision on the matter. I just don't know what the right answer is!"

Apollo nodded his head, knowing how his friend and mentor felt. He too was having the same dilemma as it would eventually be his decision to give them the information since the fleet was still technically under marshal law. He knew he could always claim that the information was of a sensitive and vital military nature, and therefore overturn any vote by the Council of the Twelve, but he was having the same problem as President Tigh.

Did he have the right to keep these people from attempting a return to the Colonies?

Apollo was pondering this when, at the far end of the room, an officer entered and announced that the King had just arrived. Hearing this, the Scorpion people all moved as one into several columns on either side of the room, leaving a walkway down the center of the room that led to the large table at the head of the room. The Galactican Warrior contingent fell into ranks similar to those of their Scorpion counterparts while the civilians from the fleet did there best to emulate the ranks of Warriors. Several members of the Council of the Twelve hurriedly made their way back to their seats at the table adjacent to that of the King and his retinue.

After only a few moments, the officer that had announced the Kings arrival reentered the room and in a strong and clear voice announced, "Warriors of Scorpius, Sires and Siresses of the Court, honored guests of the Galactican Fleet. I present to you, his royal majesty, King Leonitus of Scorpius!"

From where Apollo stood, he had a clear view of the huge doorway that stood open at the far end of the room. Just then, Leonitus came into view, dressed in what Apollo recognized as the full dress uniform of a Scorpion Warrior-King, looking every bit as impressive as one would expect. He was being escorted by what Apollo believed was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was perhaps twenty five yahren old with long, black lustrous hair and eyes of such a deep, dark blue, they could have been mistaken for Virgonian Sky stones. Her skin was smooth and without a single imperfection. She wore a brilliantly designed red, black and gold gown that accentuated every curve of her form. She was as close to a goddess as Apollo could imagine.

The pair glided more then walked toward the front dais followed by several of the officers and officials they had meet earlier that day, each escorted by a woman of most uncommon beauty and grace. As they passed down the center walkway, those standing to either side bowed deeply. Apollo was happy to see that when the King and his lady passed his Warriors, they too bowed, led by none other then Starbuck. He made a mental note to thank his friend for seeing to their Warriors.

As the King approached the dais, the members of the Council of the Twelve bowed, thou not as grandiose as the others. Apollo frowned at this. As Leonitus and his lady made their way to the head of their table, he cast a glance at Apollo and smiled. Apollo was still bowed and did not see this. Then Leonitus turned to the assembled crowd and motioned for them to take their seats. Once everyone was seated, Leonitus spoke.

"I bid you greetings on this most auspicious occasion for we are here this night to welcome these, our brothers of Kobol from the twelve colonies of man."

A thunderous applauds began and lasted nearly a centon before Leonitus quieted the people down. Then he continued.

"For nearly four hundred yahren our people have been stranded here on this planet, on our own in this once very hostile expanse of space, with no friends or allies, no one to turn to for help and no hope of ever returning to our homeworlds."

There was a low murmur amongst the crowd as they heard this statement.

"Our ancestors tried numerous times to find the way back to the Colonies, but were unsuccessful, costing them dozens of ships and thousands of lives."

Many in the crowd nodded their heads at this, knowing the failures of the past to find the way back to the Colonies.

"Many of our people thought that the Lords of Kobol had forsaken us! That we had fallen from grace and were being punished, and only when we had been properly humbled could we return to the homeworlds of our forefathers. And so our ancestors made the decision to make this world their home and built here the foundation of what we now have, the planet Scorpius!"

The crowd came to their feet and cheered this. Leonitus raised his hands to try and quiet his people. When they had quieted down and retaken their seats he continued.

"Over the past centuries, our people have made a good life here in this region of space. We've found new friends and allies, discovered new technologies, explored a multitude of solar systems and have established ourselves as the primary peace keepers of this region of the galaxy."

Once again the crowd applauded. Leonitus continued.

"But always … always did our ancestors pray that someday, they would be able to return to the home planets. That they would find some clue to lead them back to where they came. Always did they hope to return to Scorpia. But always, it seemed that the Lords of Kobol refused to show us the way, denying us the one clue we needed until we had truly been humbled and repentant of our arrogance. If this be the case, then our time of repentance it seems has come to an end for on this day, for the sons of Kobol have been reunited, and never again shall we be separated."

Again the hall erupted in applauds and cheers, this time lasting over a centon. Then Leonitus continued.

"On this night, we give thanks to the Lords of Kobol for guiding our brothers here to us in spite of the tremendous tragedies that have befallen them and the homeworlds. We also give thanks to our brothers from the Colonies for returning to us those sacred items of our "Chains of Life" that we believed were lost to us forever so many yahren ago."

A third round of applauds followed this statement. Leonitus continued.

"And so my friends, I say to you, go forth and greet our brothers and make them welcome. To those of the Galactican fleet, I say this, what is ours, is yours. You need but ask. That being said, I bid you all to enjoy the festivities."

With that the crowd roared its approval with cheers of joy as all there began the celebration anew. Leonitus turned to the young woman seated at his left and said something, then he walked over to where Apollo and the others sat. As he approached, they all rose from their seats and bowed.

"Please, please, sit, sit." Leonitus said, waving for them all to retake their seats. "I have come to personally thank you for coming here this night. It is a great honor for us to have you here."

"The honor Lord King is ours!" Tigh said with a bow of the head. "That was a nice speech you gave."

Leonitus chuckled a bit and said, "My people may disagree with you President Tigh. Unlike my father who was a great orator, I am not such a grand speaker."

"Making speeches is something I too have some difficulty with." Tigh told him. "I spent most of my life as a Warrior, not a bureautition, so I have little tongue for speech making."

Leonitus nodded his head, understanding exactly what Tigh was speaking of.

"So why did you give it up?" Leonitus asked, "Being a Warrior I mean? Are not your Warriors allowed to be members of your ruling council?"

Tigh and Apollo exchanged glances before he answered.

"As a matter of fact, Warriors areallowed on the Council of the Twelve, but each member of the council is elected to their post by a ballot of their tribe's members. In most cases, Warriors do not take the time to campaign for a seat on the council."

"Ah, I see! But what of you?" Leonitus asked. "Why did you give up being a Warrior? Certainly you could have retained your Warriors commission and be President of your council?"

"I suppose I could have, but that was not the wish of the man who gave me the Presidency." Tigh told him.

"Someone _gave _you the Presidency? Leonitus asked, somewhat confused. "But you just said the members of your council were elected?"

"Yes Lord King, they are, but ….." Tigh began to explain, but was interrupted by Leonitus.

"Please, call me Leonitus! At least while we are here, speaking not as a King and a President, but as ordinary men and Warriors. Let us dispense with all the fancy titles."

Tigh and Apollo exchanged looks again and both men nodded in agreement.

"As you wish …… Leonitus." Tigh said.

"Good, now please continue. You were telling me about how you became President of your council."

"Yes, well ….. it all started about nineteen yahren ago when the President of the council, Commander Adama was killed." Tigh started, casting a glance to judge Apollo's reaction to the retailing of the story of his fathers' death. Apollo's face was as emotionless as stone for a moment, then he simply nodded his accent for Tigh to continue.

"He was severely wounded when the planet we had colonized was attacked by the Cylons. Adama was on his death bed when he turned over control of the council to me, telling me that rebuilding our government was going to be a full time job unto itself." Tigh said with a sad tone. "He was not exaggerating. Trying to keep the surviving members of the council from starting a civil war and seeing to the needs of our people after having just gone thru yet another devastating attack on their homeworld, it was almost too much. It was then I decided I would have to resign my commission and dedicate myself to getting our government back on an even keel. It took a lot of hard work and sacrifice over the better part of two yahren, but we did it."

Leonitus shook his head slowly as he thought about what it must have been like during that time. Having to endure the horror of facing annihilation not once, but twice, then the uncertain future of having to move your entire civilization back onto ships and begin again to search for a tribe of man that may very well not even exist. Leonitus marveled at the resilience of these people.

"Tell me Tigh, if you could, would you try and settle your people again?" Leonitus asked.

Tigh glanced at Apollo for a moment, then turned to Leonitus.

"I suppose I would if we were able to find a planet that was far enough away from the Cylons, why?"

Leonitus smiled at him.

"How would you feel about staying here….. on Scorpius?" Leonitus offered. "It's certainly far enough away from the Cylons!"

Everyone at the table turned to Leonitus when they heard what he had said. Tigh and Apollo looked at each other with somewhat less then astonished expressions.

"You would allow our people to live here on your planet?" Tigh said. "That's most generous of you sir. I'm sure our people would love nothing better then to settle down here. But what would your people say? Wouldn't they be opposed to having all of these ….."outsiders" suddenly amongst them?"

"Not at all my friend." Leonitus assured him. "I assure you, my people would welcome your people with open arms."

"I see!" Tigh said as he looked at Apollo, who had remained silent while the two leaders talked.

"What do think Apollo? Do you think our people would like to settle down?"

Apollo's gaze went from Tigh to Leonitus and back.

"I believe they would jump at the opportunity to move off the ships of the fleet and onto solid ground again." Apollo started, then he looked Leonitus in the eye. "But tell me sir, what is it you want in exchange for allowing our people to settle here?"

This statement caught everyone at the table by surprise. All that is except for Tigh and Boomer.

"Apollo! What in the name of all the Lords would make you ask such a thing?" Sheba admonished Apollo.

Leonitus face became a mask of both anger and confusion. He looked from Apollo to Tigh and back as if expecting one of them to explain what Apollo had just said. Then the slightest hint of a smile began to show at the corner of his mouth. Apollo knew he had guessed right.

"You are shrewd Commander! Very shrewd indeed. I commend you." Leonitus said with a slight bow of his head.

Apollo returned the nod and said, "So Lord King, what is it that you would want from us? Or should I take a guess?"

Leonitus's smile grew slightly larger as he motioned to Apollo to continue.

Apollo too began to smile as he leaned forward.

"You want us to give you the navigational information back to the Colonies."

Leonitus smile came out in full bloom as he leaned back in his seat.

"You are a most brilliant man Apollo! I salute you! You would be correct Commander. But in truth, you are only half right in your assumption." Leonitus told him. "You are correct about our wanting the navigational information to the Colonies, but we would not hold you and your people hostage to get it. The offer to you and your people to live here on Scorpius has no price attached. Whether you give us the information or not, your people are welcome here."

Apollo nodded his head. He felt like such a "Pataka"!

"My apologize to you Lord King. I didn't mean to offend ……." Apollo began before being waved off by Leonitus.

"No apologize are necessary Commander. I like a man that is not afraid to speak his mind." Leonitus told him. "Now that we have that all out in the open, let me ask you, will you share with us the navigational information to the Colonies."

Tigh and Apollo exchanged looks again, then Tigh spoke.

"Before we answer that, I have to ask, what would you do with that information?"

"A fair question!" Leonitus said, nodding his head. "The fact of the matter is Tigh that I intend to take my people back to the Colonies!"

This brought a murmuring of voices from all those at the table. Tigh leaned forward and said to him, "You do realize that the Colonies are in Cylon hands!"

"Yes, I am aware of that fact." Leonitus said almost matter-a-factly. "But I plan on changing that!" he added with a sly grin.

"With all due respect sir ….." Apollo interjected. "it would take a fleet twice the size of the one you have here to retake the Colonies. Even if you could somehow force the Cylon's out, you couldn't hope to hold the Colonies for very long. The Cylons would simply bring in reinforcements from other parts of their empire and crush you."

"They would be more then welcome to try Commander, but they would regret the trying." Leonitus said with a sudden gleam in his eye. "And as far as the size of our fleet, what you've seen here in orbit of Scorpius is but a portion of our fleet. A good portion of our fleet is out on patrol while the rest are distributed throughout the system at our various bases. We have at the present over two thousand war ships in our fleet and trice that of support vessels!"

Tigh and Apollo exchanged surprised looks. They had not realized how large a fleet the Scorpions had!

"Those are impressive numbers Leonitus," Tigh said. "But the Cylons had more then that many ships when we left the Colonies twenty five yarhen ago, there's no telling how many they have now. I still think it would be a mistake to go back to the Colonies. I just can't see you being able to take back the Colonies!"

"You may well be right my friend." Leonitus said somberly. "But I tell you here and now …… that if we are able to retake the homeworlds of our ancestors, we will never give them up again. This I swear by all the Lords of Kobol!"

"Here, here my Lord King! Well said! Well said!" a loud, boisterous voice boomed from the floor near the dais. All eyes turn to the man who had approached the table unannounced. He was a young man, no more then thirty yahren of age, and yet he wore the uniform and insignia of a Scorpion Commander.

"Welcome home Commander Polinikes. You have been away far too long." Leonitus said to the newcomer.

"Agreed Lord King, it has been a long time, but one must always put duty ahead of personal wants. It has always been the way of our people, has it not?" Polinikes said before turning his attention to the others at the table. "And who do we have here my Lord?"

"These people are from the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, Polinikes. They have come here to escape the Cylons after the fall of the Colonies."

Polinikes looked at Leonitus with a bit of a shocked look on his face, then he looked at Apollo.

"The Colonies have fallen! How could this be?"

"Our fleet was ambushed while we were on our way to a peace conference." Apollo told him. "The Cylons wiped out our entire fleet except for the Battlestar Galactica and then they attacked and destroyed our homeworlds."

Polinikes shook his head in disgust and disbelief.

"A peace conference? With the Cylons? Tell me Commander, who was the idiot that fell for that piece of stupidity?"

Apollo was a little taken aback at the brash young Commanders statement, but he couldn't really argue with it. He too had believed that the "peace conference" was a ruse to lure the fleet into a trap, as did his father. But they had been overruled by the council.

"The President of the Council of the Twelve, President Adar ordered the fleet to meet with the Cylons." Apollo said.

Polinikes laughed loudly at this and turned to the growing crowd.

"Adar, that's an Aquarian name! Don't tell me that the leadership of the Colonies was left in the hands of an Aquarian? Aquarians are peace loving cowards! How could anyone have expected to win a war with one of them in command?"

Before any of the senior officers from the Galactica could respond, a massive young Warrior of obvious Aquarian heritage stepped from the crowd.

"Maybe those Aquarians you've had dealings with were, as you put it, "peace loving cowards", but I can assure you Commander, I am no peace lover or a coward!"

Polinikes turned slowly to face the large young Warrior that had spoken, the smug smile on his face never fading. He looked the man up and down, as if sizing him up for a possible confrontation, then laughed again.

"Perhaps you're not my young friend. You might even be considered courageous! But I still say that on a whole, the Aquarian people are a spineless, gutless, cowardly group of "snitrads", and should never be allowed to wear the uniform of a Warrior!"

The Young man took a step toward Polinikes, his massive hands balled up into fists when Leonitus stood up and angrily called a halt to the exchange.

"Enough! Polinikes, from this day forward you will keep your personal comments about our brother tribes to yourself. There is no place for that kind of felgercarb in this hall and it is beneath your station as a Commander to make such statements in public. Do you understand me Polinikes?"

Polinikes bowed deeply to Leonitus and said, "My apologize Lord King. I meant no harm."

As Polinikes straightened up, he cast an evil smile toward the young Aquarian. Then he asked to be excused so that he could "clean himself up and put on a proper uniform". Leonitus waved him away and sat back down with the Galactica's officers. Polinikes strutted slowly down the steps, walking very close to the Aquarian Warrior, his smile never fading and winked at him as he passed. This enraged the Aquarian even more, but he held himself in check, but only with the greatest effort. Polinikes kept walking, never looking back and threw back the comment, "It's just as I said, cowards!"

Starbuck, Jolly and Giles grabbed hold of the Aquarian before he could follow after the loud mouthed Scorpion Commander.

Leonitus was furious! He cast a quick glance at Commander Dieanicas, who only nodded and left the great hall with several other officers in tow. Leonitus watched them march thru the crowd until they disappeared thru the door at the far end of the hall, then he sat down at the table once more.

"I must apologize for Commander Polinikes. He is without a doubt the most obnoxious, arrogant, self centered, pathetic excuse for an officer in the entire Scorpion military." Leonitus told them. "If it weren't for the fact he is part of one of the most powerful families on Scorpius and one of the finest Warriors we have, I'd have thrown him out of the service yarhen ago."

"No apologize are necessary sir!" Tigh said. "Your Commander Polinikes has obviously not been around too many people outside of his Scorpion brethren. He'll need time to adjust to having members of the other eleven tribes around."

"Ah, if it were only that simply my friend!" Leonitus stated somewhat regretfully. "You see, we do have members from the other tribes here. Not so many as I'm sure you have in your fleet, but there is a sizeable number of them here on Scorpius as well as our other planets in this system. The simply fact of the matter is, Polinikes is a bigot! He believes that those of Scorpion blood are inherently better then all of the other tribes and that the Scorpion people should rule over the other tribes."

The others at the table shook their heads in disbelief. They couldn't believe that such outdated thoughts could still exist amongst human beings.

"Oh, that's not all." Leonitus continued. "Polinikes also believes that since he comes from one of our oldest and most powerful families, he is convinced that _he_ will be the next king of the Scorpion people since I have no male heir to take my place once I die."

"The Galactican officers were flabbergasted! The arrogance of this Polinikes seemed to have no bounds. Apollo wondered how Leonitus could deal with such a man.

"Would he be your successor to the throne sir? Apollo asked.

"He very well could be!" Leonitus said sadly. "According to Scorpion law, a King must always sit upon the throne of Scorpia. We have taken that same law as our own here on Scorpius. Since I do not have a male heir, only a daughter, then the next male in the line of succession would be the eldest male of the next most powerful family."

"And that would be Polinikes?" Tigh said, completing the thought.

"That would be Polinikes!" Leonitus said, nodding his head.

"Is there some way to keep him from gaining the throne?" Starbuck asked, having joined the conversation not long ago.

"Oh yes, there are several ways. I could have a male child born of a pure blood Scorpion wife, but as I am not sealed at this time and have no plans of becoming so in the near future, that is not a likely prospect."

"What other ways are there?" Apollo asked.

"My daughter would have to marry." Leonitus said.

"Your daughter?" Starbuck asked.

"Yes Commander, my daughter Androkallosia." Leonitus said, indicating the beautiful young women he had entered with. "She is the only child my wife and I had. If only she were a man, she would be a great King!"

"But as a woman, she can not rule?" Tigh asked.

"Yes my friend, our laws prohibit a woman from ruling." Leonitus said. "Thou I know that she could rule as well as any man that has ever sat upon the throne of Scorpia. She is wise beyond her yahren and there are few that can match her prowess as a Warrior."

"She's a Warrior?" Boxey blurted out before he realized he had said it aloud.

"Of course Captain, all of our people are Warriors, even our women." Leonitus said incredulously to the junior officer.

"I didn't mean it like that sir!" Boxey tried to explain. "I only meant that she doesn't look like a Warrior dressed like that."

"That is one of the nicest compliments I've ever heard" a female voice said from behind them.

Everyone turned to see that the king's daughter, Androkallosia, was standing there listening to the conversation.

Boxey nearly leaped from his seat as the other men at the table rose from their seats and bowed as the beautiful young lady stepped up behind her father.

"Ah, so you finally decided to join your dear old father and greet our visitors!" Leonitus asked jokingly of his daughter.

"But of course father. Even if it was not required of me to greet our guests, I would love nothing better then to meet with our new found friends." Androkallosia jested, her eyes locking onto Boxy.

"My friends, may I present to you the greatest treasure on all Scorpius…… my daughter Androkallosia." Leonitus announced to the Galactican officers. Leonitus introduced each of them to his daughter and she greeted each with a very regal bow and curtsy. When she was introduced to Boxey, their eyes seemed to lock onto one another for an extended period before she moved on to the next person.

This exchange did not go unobserved by either Apollo or Sheba.

Once the introductions were finished, Leonitus and his daughter sat down and he began conversing with the Galactica officers again. Androkallosia however sat quietly, her attention focused on Boxey. Boxey noticed the beautiful young princess looking at him and smiled nervously at her.

"Anyway my friends, it would seem that Polinikes could very well succeed me as king." Leonitus went on. "What makes it even more likely is that he has his eyes set on sealing with Androkallosia!"

This statement broke the princess's fixation on Boxey and made her say, "I'd sooner be sealed to a daggit then that arrogant fo-tare'!"

"Andi!" Leonitus exclaimed sternly. "You know it is not proper for you to say such a thing about Polinikes or to use that sort of language!" Leonitus scolded her before adding, "Even if it is true."

This brought some confused looks from the Galactican officers and a few chuckles from the Scorpion officers seated at the table.

"Excuse me, but what was that word you used? I've never heard it before." Sheba asked.

"Fo-tare' is not a word that is used in ….. "polite" conversation Colonel." Leonitus explained. "It refers to a certain part of the male anatomy! In this context, it is a most unflattering descriptive term."

Sheba's face reddened somewhat as she realized what Leonitus was referring to. Then with as much composure as she could muster she replied, "I don't know your Commander Polinikes, but if what I just witnessed is any indication of what he is like, I'd say Princess Androkallosia was being quite subdued in her choice of words!"

This brought gales of laughter from the Scorpion officers and a rather embarrassed look from Apollo.

When he could speak without laughing, Leonitus said to Sheba, "You and my daughter are truly kindred spirits Colonel." Then to Apollo he said, "Commander, I both envy and pity you, being sealed to such a firebrand as this lovely lady must be quite an experience."

Apollo cast a quick glance at Sheba then playfully quipped, "You have no idea!"

This brought even more laughter from the ever growing group that sat or stood around Leonitus and the Galactica's people.

Sheba poked Apollo playfully in the ribs which brought another round of laughter.

After a few moments, Leonitus raised a hand to silence the people around them and asked that they excuse he and his staff along with President Tigh, Apollo and his staff. Those not invited to stay bowed and departed without saying another word leaving the two groups of leaders alone at the front of the great hall.

As Boxey got up to leave the table, Androkallosia took him by the arm and said, "Captain, please come and sit with me while they have their little "chat". I wish to know all there is of your fleet and the people from the Colonies."

The senior officers of both groups laughed as Boxey was led away by the beautiful young women. When the two young people disappeared into the crowd, Leonitus slid his chair closer to Tigh and Apollo and began speaking in a tone that only those few left at their table could hear.

"My friends, I know the Colonies are held by the Cylons, and I know that it is most likely that if we were to attempt to retake them, we will perish. But I must tell you, it has always been the dream of my people to return to the Colonies, to return to Scorpia and help defeat the dreaded Cylons. It is a dream that, until your arrival had become mostly smoke and mirrors to us. But now, the dream has become a reality! It has become more then a phantom hope to us. All we require now is the knowledge of how to get back to the Colonies and our lives will finally be truly fulfilled."

"You might think it madness to try and retake the Colonies. Perhaps you're right! But I tell you now, even if it means certain death, my people would rather die in battle against the enemy of our forefathers, amongst the stars of their birth, then to stay here on this alien world, safe and sound, where the worst we face is the occasional Gabodian pirate. Four generations of our people have been born and died here on Scorpius, never knowing the sweet site of the homeworlds except from old holo-images. With your help, we won't have to let this generation follow in those footsteps. This is why I ask you once again, give us the navigational information to the Colonies. Let us die as Warriors fighting the enemy of our forefathers!"

Tigh stared at Leonitus for a very long time, not saying a word, nor giving any indication of his thoughts. Then, after what seemed like a centar, Tigh turned to Apollo, who was sitting next to President Tigh with a look of anticipation and said, "Apollo, if you have no objections, I see no reason not to give King Leonitus copies of all the navigational data we have gathered over the past twenty five yahren. Also we should include all information regarding planets where they will find provisions and fuel, all alien cultures we've encountered and their protocols and any other information that he will need to lead his people back to the Colonies."

Apollo and Tigh locked eyes for a moment and thou not a word was uttered, each was able to convey their thoughts to the other. After only a couple of microns, Apollo slowly nodded his head and said, "I'll have the information brought to you first thing tomorrow morning sir!"

The expression that came to Leonitus's face was one of pure and total joy! He nearly leaped from his seat and clasped Tigh's arm in the traditional Warriors handshake.

"Thank you my friend, thank you! You can't even begin to imagine what you have just done for me and my people." Leonitus gushed. Then he grabbed Apollo's arm in the same Warriors handshake.

"What is going on here?" Came a voice from behind Tigh and Leonitus. The group turned to find several members of the Galactica's Council of the Twelve standing there looking somewhat confused.

Tigh stepped over to where the council members stood and said to them, "We've been discussing the matter of the Galactica's navigational data and we've decided to give King Leonitus all of our information on how to find the way back to the Colonies."

The council members all turned as pale as their robes at what Tigh had just told them. It took a few microns before one of them was able to regain his voice.

"Oh have you now!" Sire Reynard, the council representative from Taurus said haughtily. "Don't you think this should have been put before the council before you and these "Warriors" took it upon yourselves to hand over information that could put our people in eminent danger? You did tell them that the Colonies are now under Cylon control and that it would be suicide to return there, didn't you "_Mr. President?"_"

"Sire Reynard, King Leonitus is fully aware of the current situation in the Colonies and is fully cognoscente of the possible ramifications of returning there!" Tigh said with a slightly angry tone. He did not appreciate being spoken to like a first yahren cadet by a two cubit bureautition. "I suppose we could withhold this information from King Leonitus under the guise of "military secrecy" or because it would be "in his people's best interest", or our best interest, or any number of other trumped up reasons, but the truth of the matter is that it is not within our rights to dictate to Leonitus or his people what they can or can't do."

"But if they return to the Colonies, they will all be killed!" Reynard protested. "Or worse, what if they are captured? They might tell the Cylons where we are! Then they would come here and destroy us!"

This statement brought forth a number of angry looks from the Scorpion officers that had been listening. Leonitus was about to say something to the overly pretentious council member when Tigh cut him off.

"Sire Reynard, It is quite possible that they could die upon returning to the Colonies! It is also possible that some of them could be captured! But I do not believe for a micron that any of these people would give away the location of our fleet or this star system, no matter what the Cylons did to them."

"And how can you be so sure they wouldn't?" Reynard said angrily, ignoring the venomous stares from the Scorpion Warriors around him.

"Quite simple Sire Reynard!" Tigh said in a tone that held a great deal of menace. "They're Scorpions!"

This sparked several of the Scorpion Warriors to applaud.

Then to all the members of the council he said, "Let me make this perfectly clear for all of you, it is not our place to decide what these people can or can not do! If King Leonitus wishes to return to the Colonies with his people, then that is his and their right. If King Leonitus requests the Galactica's navigational information we have for the Colonies, then we will make it available to him. The decision has already been made and that is the end of it! Do you understand?"

Reynard and the other council members were aghast at the tone of Tigh's voice and his harsh attitude toward them. Reynard and the other council members turned and began walking away, debating feverishly about their next course of action when Reynard spun back to face Tigh and the others, shouting for all to hear, "This is not the end of this matter Mister President! Oh no, this is only the beginning! I am calling for an emergency session of the council immediately and we will see if you give anything to these people!"

Saying that, Reynard turned and stormed out of the great hall with several other members of the council in tow. People all over the hall stared after him as he departed and then turned their gaze upon the leaders of the two groups. Leonitus stepped forward and placed a hand on Tigh's shoulder.

"This man, Reynard, does he have some reason why you should not share your information with us?"

"I don't know!" Tigh said. "Reynard has been a thorn in my side since he was elected to the council. He thinks everything the fleet does should be approved by the council and that everything in the fleet should fall under the council's control. Like most bureautition's, he has his own agenda and when something unexpected happens that could jeopardize his plans or takes away some measure of control from him, he starts making threats and accusations."

"This Reynard fellow, he will make trouble for you, won't he?" Leonitus asked.

Tigh turned to Leonitus with a half smile on his face and said, "He'll try, but he really doesn't have a leg to stand on. Besides he can't call for an emergency session of the council, only the President can. Irregardless of what Reynard says, you'll have all the information you need tomorrow."

Leonitus slapped Tigh on the shoulder and gave him a big smile.

"Well my friend, look at it this way, if this Reynard does find a way to keep you from helping us, I can always have him executed!"

Tigh looked at Leonitus with an expression of horror on his face. This made Leonitus howl with laughter.

"I was only joking my friend!" Leonitus said, thou Tigh thought it were only half so.

"Come, let us return to the festivities. There will be plenty of time for us to discuss all this tomorrow!

And with that, they all returned to their table and finally began enjoying the party.

When the festivities finally ended on the planet and the revelers began making their way home, the Galactica's senior staff along with President Tigh and a few other Warriors that had missed the last shuttle boarded the Commanders shuttle for the return flight to the Galactica. Leonitus had offered them all quarters on the planet in one of the finest hostelries in all Scorpius, but they declined the offer saying they had to get back to the Galactica and make sure all was in order, especially after Reynard's threats. Leonitus half jokingly offered to have him executed again but Tigh only laughed and said he would deal with Reynard in a slightly less violent fashion.

The flight back to the Galactica was quiet for the most part, everyone having enjoyed the time spent with their Scorpion hosts. Apollo sat with Tigh to his right and Sheba, sleeping on his left. He leaned over to Tigh and asked quietly, "Do you think Reynard will cause any trouble sir?"

Tigh gazed at Apollo tiredly and said, "Oh, I'm sure he'll try and stir up some trouble, but he really doesn't have much recourse. Giving Leonitus the navigational information does not fall under the council's control. As a matter a fact, it doesn't even fall under my control, this falls under your control Apollo. After all, _you_ are the fleet commander and we are still technically under marshal law."

Apollo looked at Tigh who had a slight smile on his face and realized that he was right! They were still under marshal law and any decision to share the Galactica's navigational information was his!

Apollo pulled his arm free of Sheba, who shifted in her seat to get comfortable, and made his way to the cockpit. There, he asked the copilot, Ensign Andes to hand him a comm. unit. Apollo placed the set on his head and plugged in to the shuttles comm. system.

"Apollo to Galactica, come in please."

There was a short delay before a female voice responded. "Galactica reads you sir."

"Audrey, its Apollo, I need you to download a copy of all the navigation and planetary survey data we have as it pertains to our journey from the Colonies to Scorpius. I need it encoded with a Priority Red level clearance code. Can you do that?"

"Sure, not a problem Commander." Replied Major Audrey, the command duty officer aboard the Galactica. "What should I do with the infodisk once I finish?"

"Hang onto it until I arrive and take possession of it personally. And under no circumstances are you to discuss what you're downloading with anyone. This is top secret!"

"Understood sir! It will take some time to get it all done, after all, that covers the last twenty five plus yahren." She told him.

"That's fine, just so long as you get everything and nobody finds out what you're doing." Apollo said, then he asked. "Have any of the members of the council returned to the Galactica yet?"

"Yes sir, there was a council shuttle that landed in Beta landing bay about two centars ago." she replied.

"I see, alright Audrey, my shuttle will be landing in about ten centons. Whatever you do, don't let any of them or their "Black shirts" know what you're doing, okay?"

"Yes sir, not a problem!" Audrey said.

"Thank you Major, I'll see you soon!" Apollo said and then returned the comm. set to the copilot. When he returned to his seat, he said to President Tigh, "Well Reynard and his cronies came aboard two centars ago."

"That means they've probably had enough time to get most of the council together and start working on their scheme." Tigh said with a tinge of anger. "Maybe I should have taken Leonitus up on his offer."

The look Apollo gave him made him chuckle a bit. "Don't worry Apollo, I was only kidding!" he said lightly. "It's just so frustrating having to deal with such self important people as Reynard! I don't know how your father did it, putting up with people like Reynard or Gellar, or worst of all, Sire Uri!"

Apollo laugh a bit, saying "Sire Uri! My father's greatest regret he once told me was voting for him when he ran for the council. I think at the end, there on New Genesis, he truly despised that man."

Tigh nodded his head slowly, saying, "Didn't we all! It was because of him that Adama was forced to settle our people on that planet. It was either that or risk a full scale mutiny."

The two sat quietly as the shuttle made its approach to the Galactica's Alpha landing bay. The pilot guided the shuttle into the bay and landed with the slightest thud. Then the shuttle taxied to the debarkation area were Tigh, Apollo and the rest of the officers aboard were met by a group of council security guards.

"President Tigh, Commander Apollo, I've been ordered to escort you both to the council chambers as soon as you returned." said the leader of the "Black Shirts", Captain Reese.

"And by who's orders do you presume to "escort" us Captain?" Tigh asked pointedly as the Warriors coming off the shuttle saw what was happening and began to fan out behind Tigh and Apollo.

"These orders come from Sire Reynard, acting chairman of the emergency session of the council." Reese replied nervously as he watched the Warriors moving toward his men's flanks. "If you'll come with us sir."

Tigh and Apollo exchanged a glance then Tigh asked, "And if we were to refuse to accompany you?"

Reese swallowed hard as he saw the Warriors on both sides of his men slowly move their hands to the laser pistols each of them wore. He realized that he was out gunned and surrounded, but he had a duty to perform and he was bound to do that duty, regardless of the circumstances.

"With all due respect Mr. President, my orders are to bring you and Commander Apollo to the council chambers." Reese said with as much courage as he could muster, "I would prefer that you came willingly, but I am authorized to bring you there under arrest and under arms if necessary!"

That statement was the last straw! Every Warrior that had come off the shuttle drew their lasers and leveled them at the startled black shirts. Starbuck was the first to speak.

"The President and the Commander aren't going anywhere with you Black Shirt! And I wouldn't let my hands drift too close to those lasers if I were you either. This thing touches off kinda lightly if you know what I mean!"

"Starbuck, that won't be necessary." Tigh said calmly, indicating with his hand that they should lower their weapons. "If Sire Reynard "requests" Apollo and me to attend his little daggit and equine show, then by all means, I think we should see what he has going on. Wouldn't you agree Apollo?"

Apollo looked Reese right in the eyes and said, "I wouldn't miss it for all the cubits in the fleet sir!" This made Reese even more nervous.

"Good, lead the way Captain!" Tigh said, indicating that he wanted Reese to go first. Reese nodded slightly and began walking toward the turbolift with his detachment of council security falling in around Tigh and Apollo, who were in turn surrounded closely by Starbuck, Boomer, Sheba, Bojay and Boxey with the remaining Warriors following a few metrons behind. When they reached the turbolifts, Reese seen that the Warriors had followed them. He turned and asked, "Where do you think you're going Starbuck?"

Starbuck walked up to Reese until he was almost nose to nose with Reese and said, "That's _Commander_ Starbuck to you "Captain" and I and my friends here are going with the President and Commander Apollo."

"You can't do that Starb…. I mean Commander! Only council members and their designated assistants are allowed in the council chambers during an emergency session. That's the law!" Reese said defiantly.

"Ah, that may be so Reese, but you forget, the law also allows for the President and a Fleet Commander to be accompanied by their personal body guards." Starbuck said smugly. "And I believe that the President is allowed up to ten body guards while the Commander is allowed six! I am correct in this am I not?"

Reese took an exasperated breath and said, "Yes, you would be correct Commander."

"Yes and since it appears that we have just enough Warriors here to fulfill the required bodyguard for the President and the Commander, I think we might just tag along! What do you think sir?" Starbuck directed the last to Tigh. He and Apollo had been standing at the turbolift listening and laughing at the unfortunate council security Captain as Starbuck picked him apart, piece by piece. Tigh regained just enough composure to say, "Sure Commander."

Reese was furious, but there was nothing he could do to keep Starbuck and the rest of the Warriors from following them to the council chambers and he knew that as soon as they all walked in with all of them in tow, his career would most likely come to an end. Oh well, there was nothing he could do about it except complete his mission and hope for the best. He waved them all forward to join them in the turbolift and headed off to the council chambers.

Sire Reynard was sitting in the Presidents seat speaking with one of the other council members when President Tigh and the others arrived. He cast a casual glance toward the large group of Warriors entering the council chambers and came up out of his seat as if the chair had been electrified.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" Reynard yelled as the Warriors began to take positions around the room's perimeter. "What are all of these Warriors doing here? This chamber is off limits to all but the council and those people approved by the council to enter here!"

Tigh strode up to the front of the room with Apollo, Starbuck, Boomer and Sheba right behind him. He stopped in front of Reynard with a look on his face that could have frozen a sun.

"What is all this Tigh?" Reynard shouted at the President, showing none of the respect or courtesy the President should be accorded. "Why have you brought all these "Warriors" into this chamber? How can you so blatantly disregarded the rules regarding emergency sessions of the council like this? I'll have everyone one of you …."

"Oh shut up!" Tigh yelled at the enraged council member, causing Reynard to take a quick step backwards in fright, which in turn caused him to trip over the Presidents chair and go crashing to the floor. Tigh advanced on the prone bureautition and angrily continued.

"You have some nerve talking to me about "rules" when I enter the council chambers and find you sitting in the Presidential seat! You do realize that it is against the bylaws of the council for anyone but the President of the Council of the Twelve to sit there and that I could have you arrested!"

Reynard retreated from the fury of Tigh's tongue lashing, crawling backwards to get away, but Tigh was not about to let him get away. Tigh kicked Reynard's feet out from under him, causing Reynard to fall onto his back with a hard thud.

"And how _dare _you presume to lecture me about the rules regarding anything you sanctimonious snitrad! You who should know that an emergency session of the council has to have the approval of the President prior to it being called! And where do you get off sending council security to bring Commander Apollo and me here by force! That could very well be interrupted as an act of treason because it looks to me like you …" Tigh said and then looked at the other members of the council, who were cowering in one corner of the room. "and these others were planning some sort of coup!"

The eyes of the other council members began to bulge out in fear when they heard this. They began to wonder if it was such a good idea to have listened to Reynard.

"W…we weren't planning a coup Mr. President!" Sire Mallard, the Cancerian delegate stuttered. "We where just discussing wither it was in the best interest of our people to give these "Scorpion" people the Galactica's navigational information to the Colonies."

Tigh turned slowly to face the new speaker, giving Reynard a few moments respite to get away from Tigh's angry tirade and retreat to the relative safety of the far side of a table.

"And what makes any of you think _you_'d have a say in that decision anyway?" Tigh began. "Correct me if I'm wrong here, but are we not still under marshal law?"

The faces of the council members revealed to Tigh that they had totally forgotten that little detail. Tigh continued.

"And being that we are still under marshal law, the decision does not fall on this council, or even myself, but on Commander Apollo! He and he alone has the authority to decide this matter!"

The members of the council looked like a group of small children who had been caught stealing mushies. Even Reynard had fallen silent under the realization that there was nothing he could do to prevent the Scorpions from getting the information they wanted. He looked to where Apollo stood and asked weakly, "Will you give them what they want Commander?"

Apollo cast a glance at President Tigh then looked at the other council members.

"I've been giving this matter a great deal of thought, and I've consulted with President Tigh and my staff as to what course of action to take, and I've come to the conclusion that it would be in the best interest of the Scorpion people as well as our own to deny them access to those records. I believe that if they were to return to the Colonies, they would most assuredly be wiped out." Apollo said to all those present, causing Reynard to smile, secure in the thought that he had won. Then Apollo continued.

"But I also don't believe we have the right to deny them an opportunity to do what they have longed to do, and that is to return to the Colonies. Therefore, I will turn over to King Leonitus copies of all the Galactica's navigational and scanner logs as well as any and all information dealing with fuel locations, food and water locations and all the friendly and unfriendly cultures we've encountered during the past twenty five yahren."

This brought a few groans from some of the council members, but they said nothing, so Apollo went on.

"I am also going to include every bit of information we have on the Cylons, including the known locations of their bases, deployment of their fleet, battle tactics, communications codes, ship capabilities and weapons systems, everything! I'm sure some of what we have is well out of date, but we all know that the Cylons have very little individual initiative and innovation is not one of their strong suits, so it's quite possible that the Cylons haven't changed that much in twenty five yahren."

Apollo looked around at the members of the council and saw that they were pretty well resigned to what he was going to do. Then he looked at Tigh and saw a slight smile on his face.

"Are their any questions?" Apollo asked.

None of the council members said a word. They all knew there was nothing they could say or do, so they remained silent.

Apollo turned to Captain Reese, who had tried to stay inconspicuous off to the side during President Tigh's tirade.

"Reese, I want you to escort these "people" to their quarters and see to it that they stay there."

Reese nodded his head and responded with a simple, "yes Commander."

Then Apollo turned to the council members and said, "You people are restricted to your quarters until further notice. Your meals will be brought to you and you will conduct all your council business via vidcom, which will be monitored by Warrior security! You will not have any visitors unless authorized by myself or President Tigh, and then you will be under Warrior security escort at all times."

"Are you placing the entire council under arrest Commander?" Reynard asked somewhat defiantly, having regained some of his composure and courage.

"Not the whole council Sire Reynard," Apollo said in a voice with little respect for the council member. "only those of you that were conducting this illegal session of the council, and you are not under arrest … at least not yet. If any formal charges are to be brought against you, it will be done by President Tigh, and then, only after a full investigation has been conducted."

Reynard dropped his eyes to the floor, knowing that he had totally misjudged has actions and authority. Now the full weight of Colonial justice was going to come down on him and the others.

"Move them out Captain." Apollo ordered the council security officer. Reese and his men herded the council members out of the council chambers followed by a group of Warriors that Apollo motioned to to follow behind. Then he turned to the remaining Warriors and asked if they had any questions about what had just transpired.

"Will we be going with them Commander?" asked a voice from behind Apollo. He turned and saw Captain Xeo, one of the squadron leaders from the Octavia. Xeo, Apollo remembered was of Scorpion ancestry and had requested assignment to the Octavia because one of his ancestors had been aboard her when she disappeared.

"The Scorpion fleet that is sir, will we be going back to the Colonies with them?"

Apollo looked at President Tigh for a moment then said, "That is something that we haven't discussed as yet Captain. Why do you ask?"

Captain Xeo stepped forward and came to attention.

"Sir, if the Galactica and her fleet are going to remain here, at Scorpius, I would like to request an immediate transfer to one of the Scorpion ships."

Apollo was mildly shocked by the man's request.

"Why do you want to transfer to a Scorpion ship Captain?"

"If I may speak freely sir, I spent a lot of time with the Scorpion Warriors this night and for the first time in my life; I feel as if I'm where I belong, like I've come home!" Xeo said. "I feel like I belong amongst them, that I am one of them. I can't explain it any other way except that I believe I belong with them. Do you understand what I mean sir?"

Apollo nodded his head slowly. He did understand. He knew that, like many others among the fleet, certain tribes or sects within a tribe just naturally gravitated toward each other. He was aware that this was a possibility when they came here, but didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

"Captain Xeo, send your request to Commander Omega and if he approves it, I'll give you my endorsement as well."

Captain Xeo saluted and thanked Apollo.

Apollo nodded to him and then dismissed the remaining Warriors. When they had departed, only Apollo, Tigh, Starbuck, Boomer and Sheba remained.

Boomer stepped over to Apollo and said, "I've been hearing rumors all night that a number of our Warriors are considering transferring to the Scorpion fleet."

"I've been hearing the same thing." Starbuck added. "And not just from the Scorpion Warriors, I've heard it from Sagittarians, Capricans, Aries, I even heard a couple of Aquarians talking about transferring. It's like they would rather take a chance on winning back the Colonies then making a life here of Scorpius."

"I think we can expect a lot more of our Warriors to request transfers before too long Apollo." Tigh said. "The question is, do we grant them?"

"We can't let all our Warriors transfer to the Scorpion units." Sheba said. "We need them here to defend our fleet."

"True, but how can we deny them their requests?" Boomer asked, "If we do, they might just resign their commissions and join the Scorpion fleet anyway!"

"If too many of our Warriors transfer to the Scorpion fleet, we could have a serious personnel problem!" Sheba added.

Apollo nodded his head slowly. He knew this situation would come up, but he had hoped it would not happen for several sectars, not a few centars! Yet here it was, what to do about the possible defection of the fleets Warriors to the Scorpion forces.

"I don't have an answer to what we can do, I think we should call the entire senior staff together tomorrow so we can start planning for it." Apollo said wearily. "For now, I think it would be best if we all get some sleep and then attack this problem tomorrow with clear minds."

Everyone agreed and began heading to their respective quarters or back to their own ships for some much needed rest.

The next morning in the "War Room" on the Galactica, the senior officers from each of the warships of the fleet meet to discuss the potentially serious matter of Warrior transfers.

"I had over a six hundred transfer request on my desk this morning before I even woke up and I only have eleven Scorpion crewmen on board the Chimaera!" Commander Jolly said. "I'm telling ya skipper, if it keeps going like this, I won't have enough people to keep my ship operational!"

"It's the same for me on the Egidon." Said Colonel Deitra. "I have already had thirty members of my crew, all of Scorpion heritage; resign to join the Scorpion fleet, including my executive officer!"

Apollo sat leaning back in his seat and listened to each commander as they told the same story, how large numbers of their crews were either requesting transfers to the Scorpion fleet are resigning the commissions outright to join the Scorpions. Already, the total numbers had exceeded five thousand requests for transfer and half again as many resignations. Something had to be done stop this grand exodus, or the Galactica's fleet would be in serious trouble. But Apollo was also dealing with another problem of his own.

He wanted to return to the Colonies as well!

When the last of the reports was done, Apollo leaned forward in his chair and began to speak.

"It seems obvious that we are in the middle of a crisis here concerning a large number of our Warriors wanting to go with the Scorpion fleet when they leave for the Colonies. President Tigh and I are scheduled to meet with King Leonitus in about two centars and I plan on speaking with him about this matter. I want to see if his people are recruiting ours to their cause or if it's just a case of our people wanting to go back and finish a war that was lost by bureautitions and traitors!"

The last part of that statement had the sound of someone who wanted to do just that, finish a war that was lost because of the actions of others. This did not go unnoticed by the others.

"In the meantime, I want you all to try and talk your people out of transferring or resigning until we can find out what's going on and get a plan into place. Any questions?"

No questions were forthcoming so Apollo dismissed his officers and reflected a moment on his own thoughts and feelings. Starbuck and Boomer had stayed behind, curious as to their friend's thoughts.

"So Apollo, what was that little bit about "bureautitions and traitors" about?" Starbuck asked. "Are you thinking our people want to go back and fight the Cylons even if they don't stand a chance of surviving?"

Apollo looked at his friend for a moment before answering.

"Yes, that's exactly what I believe is going on, and what scares me the most about it is … I want to go with them too!

Boomer and Starbuck looked at each other in total surprise.

"Are you serious Apollo?" Boomer asked. "You want to go back with the Scorpions and fight the Cylons? After all we went thru the past twenty five yahren?"

Apollo leaned back in his chair and chuckled a bit.

"I know, it sounds crazy, doesn't it?" he said to them. "But I have this almost … overpowering urge to take the Galactica and join Leonitus's fleet!"

Boomer and Starbuck both sat down as they listened to their friend.

"When I first started thinking about what Leonitus was planning, I thought he was crazy! I thought that he and his people had been stuck on this planet too long, away from the realities of what the war with the Cylons was really like. But then, after we had the chance to meet him and his people, got to know who they were and what they were about, I found that I felt the same way about things as they do. The only difference was that they openly admit that they want to go back to the Colonies and reclaim them were I've only dreamed about it."

"And now?" Starbuck prodded slightly when Apollo appeared distracted by other thoughts.

"Now I think, with the size of the Scorpion fleet and their "trans-spaceial" drive joined with our fleet and the new "super scanners" we have, we could, with the right planning hit the Cylons before they even knew we were there and be gone before reinforcements could even be summoned."

Apollo leaned forward in his seat and told his friends in a voice that was so full of conviction, it was impossible to argue with.

"I believe we could very well not only force the Cylons out of the Colonies, but I believe we could take the fight to them and destroy them once and for all!"

Both Boomer and Starbuck looked at their friend with expressions that said they may be thinking of calling Doctor Salik to come look after Apollo until they gave him a shocker.

"Well, then I guess it wouldn't sound too far fetched if I told you that Boomer and I were thinking the same thing!" Starbuck said.

Now it was Apollo's turn to look surprised.

"You both want to go back to the Colonies with Leonitus!" he asked.

Both men nodded their heads. Apollo was dumbfounded! Here he was believing he was going crazy for wanting to join Leonitus on his "suicide mission", and his two best friends were thinking the same thing!

"We just didn't know how to approach you with it!" Starbuck said.

"And we're not the only ones, Jolly, Bojay, Gilles and even Athena has expressed a wish to go back and kick some Cylon ass! We just didn't know how you felt about it …at least till now we didn't!" Boomer added.

"Apollo looked at his two friends for a moment, then said to them, "Alright then, that being the case we need to find out who among us wishes to go with the Scorpion fleet and who wants to stay here on Scorpius. Then we need to talk this over with Leonitus and his people. For all we know, they might not want us going with them."

"Geez, I never even thought about that!" Starbuck said.

"Well, we'll get the chance to find out soon enough. We're meeting with Leonitus and his staff in less then two centars. I suggest we all talk to our families and tell them what we have in mind, then we'll meet in Alpha landing bay for the trip down to the planet."

The trip down to Scorpius was one of true enlightenment as each member of the senior staff made known their feelings and the feelings of their crews concerning whither or not to return to the Colonies with the Scorpions or not. To everyone's surprise, it was almost unanimous among the Warriors of the Galactican fleet that they wanted to return to the Colonies and take them back from the Cylons! Even President Tigh was ready to resign from the council and rejoin the Warrior service, his true Warrior blood having been stirred up as it was. The only exceptions seemed to be Omega and Barton, who decided they would rather stay on Scorpius with the majority of the Galactica's civilian population and those inhabitants of Scorpius' that were staying behind rather then leaving their comfortable homes. In all, eleven of the thirteen warships of the Galactica's fleet, as well as twelve tankers, five agro-ships, all four industrial ships and both of the mineral and livestock ships would be joining the Scorpion fleet.

That is, if Leonitus would allow it!

Leonitus was floored when he heard that the majority of the Galactica's fleet wanted to join his people in their quest to retake the Colonies. He was both thrilled and wary.

"So my friends, why is it you have decided to return to the Colonies with us? Before you were trying to convince us that this would be suicide, now you want to accompany us." Leonitus asked.

"It seems Lord King that you are a much more persuasive speaker then I am!" Tigh said in reply. "That and your people did a lot of "convincing" of their own." he added with a smile.

"My people?" Leonitus said with a bit of a confused look on his face.

"Yes my lord King, it seems many of our Warriors were doing some "impromptu" recruiting of the Galactica's personnel." Dieanicas told Leonitus.

Leonitus was shocked. He had no idea his Warriors had been doing this.

"I want you to send out an order immediately stating that there is to be no more of this "impromptu" recruiting. Any of our Warriors found attempting to coerce our Galactican brothers to our cause will be _severely punished_!"

"I will have the order posted immediately Lord King!" Dieanicas said and he left the conference room to carry out the order personally.

"That won't be necessary Lord King" Tigh said, "Most of our Warriors have already made it known that they want to go back with your fleet, the problem lies in how to integrate the two fleets!"

One of the Scorpion Commanders, Commander Teris, said, "What problem can there be? You are Warriors are you not? All you have to do is follow your orders and do your duty!"

"_Yes, we are Warriors!_" Starbuck shoot back angrily, leaning forward with his hands planted on the table. "And we know how to follow orders! The question is, who will be giving the orders!"

The Scorpion officers reacted as if Starbuck had just reached across the table and slapped each and every one of them in the face. Their expressions were a mixture of shock, anger and disbelief. Commander Alexios was the first to speak.

"Who's orders? What sort of foolish question is that Commander? There is only one who gives orders here and that is the Lord King Leonitus!"

"Oh really! Well, no offense Lord King," Starbuck said with a slight bow of his head to which Leonitus acknowledged and motioned for Starbuck to continue with a rather amused expression on his face. "But I think it would be in everyone's best interest and in the best interest of the fleet to give command to Commander Apollo! After all, he has at least faced the Cylons and knows what to expect from them."

"The Lord of Scorpius is no common Scarab flying Warrior cadet to be ordered around by a mere Commander." Teris fired back, leaning on the table as Starbuck was so that they were nearly nose to nose with one another. "He is the ruler of the entire Scorpion nation and comes from a line of royalty that stretches back to a time before the Lords of Kobol ever journeyed to the Colonies. He takes orders from no one and we only take orders from him!"

"Gentleman!" Leonitus said loudly before the heated exchange could become physical, "The war is with the Cylons, not each other!"

This statement quieted down both antagonists's as he knew it would. He then looked around the room at the others. Both the Warriors of the Galactica's fleet and his own were looking at him, his Warriors waiting for him to tell these "Colonials" to mind there places and submit to their betters and the Galacticans, hoping he would see the logic of having one with experience in fighting the Cylons in command."

"This matter of who will command the fleet I think is quite simple!" Leonitus began, causing his officers to strand up straight and smile smugly at their "Colonial" counterparts. "We of Scorpion heritage and ancestry have from the beginnings of time been breed, trained and dedicated to but one thing … the art of war! It is ingrained into our being even before we are born and no matter what vocation we find ourselves in in life, we are always Warriors!"

This brought nods of confirmation from the Scorpion officers. Leonitus continued.

"And as Warriors, one of the first things we learn is to follow orders, because if a Warrior does not follow orders, people die!"

All those present nodded their heads in affirmation of this all too important fact.

"Commander Teris," Leonitus went on, looking at the officer that spoke out earlier. "You are correct in that I am the Lord King of the Scorpian people, and that I have been the supreme ruler of our people since my father's death. But above that my friends … I am a Warrior! And as a Warrior I learned many things. I learned how to take orders like every other Warrior and that my lineage was not as important as following the orders of my superior officers. I learned that regardless of ones heritage or ancestry, regardless of ones birth station or family status, the most important thing we learn as Warriors is that the Warrior in command must be the one that gives you the greatest chance of victory!"

The smiles began to fade from the faces of the Scorpion Warriors, replaced by looks of confusion.

"And that is why my friends, I say to you know that, Commander Apollo will lead our fleet into battle against the dreaded Cylons!"

The Warriors of Scorpius erupted in protest at their Kings decision, they could not fathom the reason why he would turn command over to this "Colonial"! Then one voice amongst the many stood out.

It was Polinikes.

"I know not what sort of foul treachery is afoot here, but I for one will _never_ follow this, or any other non-Scorpion into battle!"

Polinikes pronouncement brought every other tongue to silence and every eye turned to the brash young Commander.

"Never in the history of our people has a Scorpion Warrior-King willingly surrendered command of his fleet, and I say to all of you that if Leonitus does this now, he should be removed from his throne!"

The face of every Warrior there, Scorpion and Galactican went pale at Polinikes's statement. Had he truly said that Leonitus should be overthrown?

"Treason!" screamed First Minister Solon. "Tis treason you speak of!"

"Is it old man?" Polinikes fired back hotly. "What is more treasonous then surrendering the fleet of Scorpius to these "Colonials"? How can any of you call yourselves Warriors of Scorpius when our "_King_" places the very future of the Scorpion people in the hands of these outsiders?"

"I'll tell you how you imputant little snitrad!" Leonitus roared with anger. "It is because Commander Apollo and his people have fought the Cylons all there lives, where as the closest any of our people have been to a Cylon is those broken down rust buckets we have in our museums! And unlike you, you sniveling son of a daggit, I am more concerned with the winning of the war then gaining personal glory for myself!"

Polinikes was furious! Never had anyone … _ANYONE …_ ever dared to speak to him in such a manner. And to be spoken to in such a way in front of the entire Royal Staff and those "Colonials", it was too much for him to take.

"You stupid fools! Am I the only one whose Scorpion blood has not turned to water? So be it then, I denounce the whole of you. From this day forward, I no longer recognize you Leonitus as my king nor a Warrior of Scorpius!" Polinikes shouted as he began to leave. "And any who would follow you will also be as nothing to me. I will take any and all _true _Warriors of Scorpius with me aboard the Mahthildia and we will leave this warren of cowards and traitors to the deaths that are sure to be yours if you follow this piece of "_skorat'e_!", the last of his tirade was aimed at Apollo.

Leonitus had had enough of Polinikes's treasonous rantings and disrespect, he reached to his belt and in one fluid motion, he drew a large, double edged dagger from his belt and threw it backhanded at the loud-mouthed Warrior. The blade flew straight and true as it wedged itself in Polinikes's mouth up to the hilt, a hand span of blade protruding from the back of his skull! Polinikes's lifeless corpse fell to the polished stone floor with a hard, loud "thud" as a pool of blood and brain began to spread across the floor.

The members of the Galactica's contingent stood horrified at what they had just witnessed while the Scorpion Warriors, while mildly stunned by their Kings actions, seemed to accept it. Dieanicas walked over to Polinikes's body and placed his foot on the dead mans forehead and pulled the kings blade out of the mans mouth. He wiped the gore on the dead mans clothing and returned it to Leonitus. Leonitus resheathed the blade and looked upon his officers with a glare that could freeze the marrow in a mans bones.

"Are there any more objections to my turning over command of the fleet to Commander Apollo?" he asked with a voice that all the Scorpion officers knew would mean certain death at this point, so each of them remained silent. When no response was forthcoming, Leonitus turned to Apollo who's shocked expression made it obvious he did not approve of what had just transpired.

"My apologize to you all," he said, his voice still hard and menacing, but more civil then it was moments before. "it is most unfortunate that you had to witness such a display as that."

"Y-you just killed that man, killed him in cold blood!" Sheba blurted out, the shock of what she had just seen making her voice shake. "How could you do such a thing?"

Leonitus turned his icy gaze upon Sheba and she could hardly keep her bladder from releasing. And in a voice that was as cool and calm as a man having an ordinary conversation, Leonitus said, "Polinikes's treason was so blatant, so obvious that I felt that had I let him continue to spout his treason, it would begin to spread … like a disease, infecting our Warriors and turning them against myself and each other. I felt the only way to stop this from happening was to treat Polinikes like a surgeon would treat a life threatening disease, and that is to kill it … and so I killed him!"

"But he was a human being!" Sheba told him, the pain and horror evident in her voice. "How could you just kill a man like that without even a tribuneral?"

"There was no need for a tribuneral Colonel!" Leonitus said with a bit of an edge to his voice. He was unaccustomed to being questioned like this. "His treason was obvious to all here. His own words pronounced him guilty and the penalty for treason is death! There are many methods of execution used by our people and the blade is one of them, the means of which I provided with a simple flick of the wrist."

Sheba was nearly in tears at this point. Leonitus's anger at the Galactican officer softened just a bit as he continued.

"There are many facets of Scorpion culture and tradition that you don't understand Colonel. Perhaps it would be impossible for you to even fathom the reasoning behind many of our ways, but it is a culture that spans back to the days of Kobol and we hold those things sacred. Executing Polinikes was in accordance with Scorpion law and that is all that matters."

Sheba looked at Leonitus and said, "When we, as human beings start killing our own, we're just helping the Cylon's to exterminate our people, we become as bad as the Cylons! No, we become even worse then them!"

Sheba turned away from Leonitus and the rest of the Scorpion contingent and walked away from the table. She took a seat at a small table and refused to take part in anymore of the planning.

Leonitus turned to Apollo, who was watching Sheba, and said, "Commander, I'm sorry if my actions offended any of your people's sensibilities, but my actions were in keeping with the laws of my people!"

Apollo turned to Leonitus, his expression a mix of sorrow and sympathy for what his wife was feeling and shock from seeing Polinikes dispatched in such inhumane way.

"I'm sure they were sir, it's just that we had done away with all forms of execution in the Colonies over three hundred yahren ago. The suddenness of it caught us all off guard."

Leonitus nodded his head and said, "Perhaps it is not such a good idea to bring our people together on this after all!"

"I disagree sir," Apollo said. "This I'm sure is an isolated incident. We can't let one misunderstanding ruin something as important as our attempting to take back our homeworlds."

Leonitus thought about it for a moment, then nodded his agreement.

"As I said before Commander, you are a shrewd man. Now let us make our plans for sending the Cylons to Hades!"

During the next few days, the two groups planned, argued, laughed and sweated over the details of their impending mission. It was agreed that the Galacticans would provide all their navigational information as well as all other pertinent information that would be necessary for the fleet to return to the Colonies. They would also share their new scanner technology and updated Viper designs with the Scorpions. In turn, the Scorpions would outfit all of the Galactica's ships with trans-spaceial drives and their far more powerful weapons systems. Each group would train their counterparts in the use and tactics of the new equipment and make sure they were proficient in its operation before the fleet departed.

The entire Scorpion military industry was set to work rebuilding and refitting the ships of both fleets with the newly acquired technologies keeping the people of the Scorpion shipyards working around the chronometer. It was a daunting task they had undertaken, but the lives of their entire species was at stake! No detail would be overlooked.

Then, after nearly six sectars of continues work, all was in readiness for the trip back to the Colonies and destiny.

Most of the civilians from the Galactica's fleet, some one hundred twenty thousand, had decided to remain behind on Scorpius as did over two million members of the other tribes that had lived among the Scorpions since they arrived there. There were also about twenty eight thousand Warriors that decided to stay behind and defend those that were remaining. Commander Omega it was decided would be in command of the forces tasked with the defense of the Scorpius system with a Librian captain, newly promoted to colonel, Colonel Johnas as his second in command. Omega would retain command of the Battlestar Octavia and would command a fleet consisting of the Octavia, the Scorpion Battlestar Triantis under the command of Colonel Johnas, the Destroyer Charon under the command of Major Barton, the Destroyer Kratos under the command of Major Cree, who decided to stay on Scorpius as well, and an assortment of Scorpion patrol vessels that, thou somewhat small, possessed the speed and agility of a Viper and the firepower of a Battlecrusier. In all, Omega would command a fleet of fifty seven fighting ships and one hundred two support vessels, more then enough to protect Scorpius, her satellite planets and keep the peace in the region.

To nobody's surprise nearly every man woman and child of Scorpion ancestry was leaving the only world they had ever called home for the chance to set foot on the homeworld of Scorpia. Only a thousand Scorpions were staying behind, these were the losers in a lottery to insure that if the fleet was indeed wiped out, the Scorpion people would have a chance of surviving thru them.

Apollo was on the bridge of the Galactica going over the last centon reports from the fleet and planets before they departed on what was to be the greatest undertaking by man since the original tribes of Kobol left their dying world and founded the twelve Colonies so long ago. He couldn't help but feel the excitement of what they were about to do. The enormity of it was so overwhelming; he could hardly concentrate on his duties. He thanked the lords that he had Sheba there next to him handling the normal ship operations or he would never have been able to do this. Also by his side was President Tigh, who for the first time in over twenty yahren, walked the bridge of the Galactica in his dark blue command uniform. Apollo looked up from his reports and watched Tigh as he tried in vain to stretch his tunic into a more comfortable fit. Apollo glanced at Sheba and seen her smiling at the Tigh's predicament as well.

"Is everything alright sir?" Apollo asked with a slight smile on his face.

"Hmm, what, oh, I think the damn quartermaster shank my old uniform when he cleaned it. It seems to be a bit snug!"

Apollo and Sheba both chuckled a bit at his comment, causing Tigh to turn toward the two of them with a very stern look on his face.

"Did either of you have anything you wanted say?" he challenged.

Both officers continued to smile and answered in unison, "NO SIR!"

"I didn't think so!" Tigh replied in what amounted to a near growl.

This caused Apollo and Sheba to chuckle even more. The jovial attitude was interrupted by the communications officer.

"Commander, I have the Mahthildia on channel one sir."

"Thank you Ensign." Apollo replied as he laid the reports he was reading down and picked up his comm unit. The Mahthildia was now under the command of King Leonitus himself. After he had "executed" the former commanding officer, Commander Polinikes for making treasonous statements, he had the entire crew disbanded and reassigned to other ships of the fleet while he took command of the giant Warstar.

"Galactica to Mahthildia, go ahead."

"Commander, this is Leonitus, on your order, we will begin moving the Warstars into position to grapple the smaller vessels of the fleet."

"Understood sir. Standby!" Apollo replied as he looked over to Sheba who had been check the status of the other ships of the fleet. After a few moments, Sheba nodded her head and gave Apollo the thumbs up. All ships reported ready for grappling.

Apollo acknowledged Sheba's signal and called for Leonitus and the rest of the Warstar commanders to begin the grappling process.

With a precision that could not be duplicated by anyone but the Warriors of Scorpius, two hundred seventy seven Warstars moved into positions above numerous groups of smaller warships and support vessels, moving within mere metrons of the comparatively small ships and grabbing hold of them with hundreds of grappling lines. Some of the giant Warstars would be carrying hundreds of vessels tucked away under their bellies. The bridge crew of the Galactica watched in awe as the Warstars moved in above the precisely positioned ships and with hardly any effort grabbed hold of the support ships and moved off to the designated staging area to await the signal to begin the journey.

When the last of the Warstars had moved into the staging area, the Battlestars began to move in on their charges and just like the much larger Warstars; they began attaching grapples to groups of pre-positioned support vessels.

Apollo walked over to where his new helmsman, Lieutenant Siragosa expertly guided the Galactica into position. After several centons, the call came up from the "grapple master" assuring that all vessels were properly grappled, secured and that they were cleared to move to the staging area. Apollo was amazed at how easily the maneuver had gone. Then came a call from Leonitus.

"You did well my friends." he said to Apollo. "I've seen Scorpion pilots that took a dozen tries at grappling before they could get even one ship on their belly! You just picked up all twenty six ships on the first try!"

"That's because I have an outstanding helmsman at the controls" Apollo replied as he placed a reassuring hand on Lieutenant Siragosa's shoulder. "Your people did a great job of training my people sir."

"Perhaps Commander, but you have to have an exceptional Warrior to start with first, and your people are as fine as any I've seen."

"Thank you sir!" Apollo replied.

"And now that we have the mutual felgercarb out of the way, perhaps we should consider getting underway!" Leonitus said with a laugh. "After all, we have a long journey ahead of us and a galaxy full of Cylons to destroy!"

Apollo laughed and replied, "I couldn't agree more sir."

Apollo then turned to the communications officer.

"Pass the word Ensign, "To all ships of the fleet, stand by get underway!"

The word was sent out and in less then a centon, acknowledgements were received from all ships. Apollo then gave the order for all ships to move out on their designated courses and speeds, being sure to keep their intervals and mind their speed. Leonitus made it very clear that if a ship moving at trans-spaceial speed was to get even a few metrons too close to another ship, it could spell disaster for the entire fleet as the forces unleashed would disrupt the whole space-time continuum that the trans-spaceial drive worked within.

The ships of the fleet began moving out in what was one of the most amazing sites man had ever witnessed. Nearly six thousand ships began the long journey back to the colonies.

"Message coming in from the planet sir," the comms officer said. "it's Commander Omega."

Apollo grabbed his comm set and plugged in to the comm system.

"Go ahead Omega."

"I just wanted to say goodbye Commander and wish you and the entire fleet the best of luck."

"Thanks Omega, I sure wish you were coming with us thou. We could use you!"

"I did consider it sir, more then you'll ever know, but Rigel and I decided we would rather take a chance on a peaceful life here. Besides, someone has to look after King Leonitus's planet!"

Apollo laughed at his long time comrade. Then he said, "Well, whatever happens, just know that the blessings of the Lords of Kobol are with you and all those that serve you Commander."

"Thanks Apollo. We'll be waiting to hear from you." Scorpius command out."

Apollo smiled at the thought of Omega and Rigel living in peace on Scorpius. He at times wished he and Sheba had made the same decision, but they had both chosen to go back to the Colonies and that is exactly what they were doing. Sheba's voice brought him out of his revere.

"Were almost at the departure point Apollo, should we pass the word?"

Apollo glanced out at the stars as they moved along at the usual slow pace they had seen for so many yahren. He knew that the time to call this whole thing off had long past and that they were committed to the course of action they had set. It was time!

Apollo switched channels on his comm unit to the fleet wide channel and made the announcement.

"Attention all ships of the fleet. We are about to set right something that many yahren ago went asunder for the human race. For those of us that came from the Colonies, it is a chance to redeem ourselves and regain that which we lost so long ago. For those people who were not yet born when the Colonies fell, it is a chance to claim your birthright, a chance to walk the great halls that your forefathers built and lost. And for our brothers from Scorpius, the decedents of the Second Colonial Fleet, it is a chance to fulfill a dream that was your fathers and grandsires and great-grandsires before them. It's a chance for you to rejoin the battle that was lost and reclaim that which is yours … Scorpia!"

Apollo paused for a moment before he continued.

"To all ships of the fleet, standby to engage trans-spaceial drives! Stand by to retake the Colonies!"

Apollo turned to Sheba and she began the countdown.

"Engage Trans-spaceial drives in three … two … one … ENGAGE!"

And with that, the ships of the mightiest fleet ever assembled by mankind began to disappear from site as the moved out of normal space and into history!


	20. Encounter with a Myth

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter 20**

**Encounter with a Myth**

**Time always passes slowly in space, especially when you have the night watch. **

**Granted, there really isn't a "day or night" when you travel thru space, but it helped people keep to their scheduled routines when they thought about things in the context of night and day. **

**And so, the "night shift" was really no different in space then it was on a planet because the majority of people would be asleep during that time, thus, nothing ever seemed to happen! As a result of this tedium, one had the problem of staying awake while on duty.**

**That was problem facing Ensign Aleman.**

**He had only recently completed his training for the night watch scanner operator and was having a bit of trouble staying focused on the blank screen of the ships main scanners. Every so often he would look out the main view port at the front of the bridge just to assure himself that there were still stars out there somewhere, even if they were too far away for him to pickup on his scanners. **

**He was beginning to think he should have stayed in the engineering department rather then transferring to operations, but he was convinced that by switching to OPS, he would have a greater opportunity for promotion. He just wished something would happen!**

**It was then that his wish was granted!**

**Aleman leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms out above his head, the sound of snapping and popping joints only slightly muffled by the material of his tan and brown uniform. He dropped his arms down to his sides, allowing them to dangle there while he closed his eyes and rolled his neck around in a circle to try and get some of the kinks out. He was just beginning to work one particularly sore spot out when the detection alert sounded in his headset.**

**Aleman nearly fell out of his seat when the alert sounded, but he quickly recovered his composure and began entering codes into the scanner console that would locate and identify whatever it was that set off the alert. The process took less then three microns and revealed what at first Aleman thought was some kind of asteroid belt or meteor storm on the very farthest reaches of the ships scanners due to the heavy concentration of contacts covering such a large area, but then he began to notice something unusual.**

**Some of the contacts were changing direction.**

**Aleman couldn't understand how an asteroid or meteor could be traveling in one direction one centon and then go in a totally different direction the next without hitting something. And as far as he could tell, they were not hitting anything. **

**Aleman entered a new set of codes and the readouts began to change. He was no longer scanning in all directions, but was now concentrating his scans on the large group of contacts in an attempt to identify what they were. The readout showed something he never would have suspected. These were not asteroids or meteors he was seeing.**

**They were ships!**

**Hundreds of them! Thousands! Tens of thousands! Aleman could not believe what he was seeing. He began running an analysis of what kind of ships they were and even more importantly … who's they were! He quickly ran them thru the "Warbook", which was a huge database of every ship known to the Colonies. While he was doing that, Aleman contacted the Command Duty Officer.**

"**Major Jax, you need to see this!" Aleman said.**

**Jax moved over to the scanner station where Aleman was running his analysis. She was very familiar with the scanner station as it was her post for three yarhen on the Titan before they arrived at Phantom Base and then five yahren spent on the Genesis after they left the base before accepting the executive officers position aboard the Titan. She stepped over and stood behind Aleman and asked, "What do have Ensign?"**

"**Not sure yet Major, the computer is still chewin on it." Aleman said with his Sagittarian accent. "Wait a micron, here it comes."**

**The computer screen began to fill with images and data about the multitudes of different vessels in the unidentified fleet. The data was staggering as ship after ship came up on the screen with a variety of information dealing with its size, shape, propulsion and weapons. But more importantly, what type of life forms were aboard. **

**The readings were very vague at first being that the alien fleet was at the very edge of their scanner range, but as they closed the distance, Aleman was able to refine the details of the fleet.**

"**Would ya look at that!" Aleman said as he read the description of one of the vessels. "That thing is over forty kilometrons long! I've never seen a ship that big before!"**

**Jax was more interested in what was at the bottom of the readout.**

"**LIFEFORMS: REPTILIAN"**

**She had never in her twenty five yahren of service seen the lifeform readout come up with reptilian. Then she asked about the alien fleet in general.**

"**How many ships do these "people" have Ensign? And what course are they on?"**

**Aleman switched back to the detection and plotting mode on the scanners and began gathering information their course and speed. He glanced at the computers count on the number of ships detected and gasped at what he saw.**

"**This can't be right!" he said under his breath.**

"**What's wrong?" Jax Asked.**

"**The counter, it says there are thirty one thousand two hundred eleven ships in that fleet! That's impossible!"**

"**Thirty one thousand, are you sure?" Jax asked as she stared at the counter herself. **

**Sure enough, that was exactly what it showed. **

"**Good lord! What course are they on?" she asked.**

"**I have it as one four two Alpha by two nine six Delta." **

**Jax thought about that course for a moment. It seemed somewhat familiar to her, but she couldn't think of why.**

"**I figure they'll come no closer then seventy two million kilometrons to our flight path Major." Aleman said in anticipation of her next question.**

"**Good, I don't want to get too close to a fleet that size unless I know their friendly." She said. Then she asked. "Plot their course for me Ensign, let's see if we can figure out where their heading."**

**Aleman entered several new commands into his console and a star map appeared on his screen. He entered the course the alien fleet was on into the computer and in a few microns the course was showing one the map. Aleman and Jax both gasped when they realized where the unknown fleet was heading.**

**Straight for the Colonies!**

"**Holy frak!" Jax breathed as she realized what she was seeing. Then she turned to the communications officer and started giving orders.**

"**Daines, get the Colonel up here right away, and then contact the Genesis and let them know what we found. Tell them we are altering course to avoid the …"**

**Jax was cut off by Aleman who yelled over to her, "Major, looks like our friends out there have spotted us! I'm showing a number of vessels breaking off from the main body and heading directly for us. Estimate they will intercept us in fifty five centons!"**

**Jax stepped back over to the scanner station and could clearly see the group of ships heading their way. There were probably twenty ships in all, including one that was as big as a Battlestar. Jax turned the helmsman, Ensign Tod, and ordered him to alter course away from the incoming vessels onto a parallel course to their own fleet, then she turned to the comms officer and said, "Tell Commander Verga that we've been discovered and have approximately twenty of the unidentified vessels heading toward us and that we are taking evasive maneuvers per plan Alpha." Then she checked the scanners again and seen that the pursuing ships were gaining on them.**

"**Helm, increase to flank speed!" she ordered just as Colonel Gellis entered the bridge.**

"**Situation report Major!" Gellis asked as he mounted the command dais. "What do have?"**

"**About three centons ago, we picked up an enormous fleet of ships on long range scan. We were just getting ready to alter our course when a group of approximately twenty ships broke off from the main body and began heading toward us at high speed. I've had a message sent to the Genesis informing them of our situation and have us on course per plan Alpha."**

**Gellis nodded his head as he when to have a look at the scanners. He looked over Aleman's shoulder at the scanner screen and though he could not see the main body of the mystery fleet, he could see the large group that was pursuing his lone Gunstar. **

"**Any ID on those ships yet Ensign?" Gellis asked Aleman.**

"**No sir! They don't match anything in the "Warbook"." Aleman responded.**

"**Have they tried to make contact with us?" Gellis asked Ensign Daines.**

"**Nothing so far sir! All channels are clear."**

"**I wonder who in Hades they are!" Gellis wondered aloud, then to Daines, "Have you reached the Genesis yet?"**

"**Yes sir, they have acknowledged our message and are in route to our location to assist. Estimated time to arrival is fifty five centons!" Daines said.**

"**How long before those unknown ships overtakes us?" he asked Aleman.**

"**ETA is about fifty two centons sir." Aleman said with a touch of dread in his voice.**

"**Isn't that just lovely!" Gellis said. "The Genesis will arrive just in time to see us get the pogees blown out of us!"**

**On the bridge of the Battlestar Genesis, Fleet Commander Verga was conferring with his senior officers via vid-com link. The mood of the conversation was quite serious.**

"**The report from Colonel Gellis is that twenty ships have broken off from the main fleet and are now in pursuit of the Titan. He has changed course per plan Alpha and is currently forty centons away. The problem we have here is, the alien ships are only thirty five centons from overtaking them!"**

"**Good lords! If they can't outrun those ships they won't stand a chance!" Commander Sachs said.**

"**We have to do something!" said Commander Goff. "The question is what can we do to help them?"**

"**With your permission sir, I'd like to take my task force at light speed to assist the Titan." Commander Bannon said earnestly. "It would cost us over half our fuel, but we could be there is less then thirty centons."**

"**Our fuel situation is becoming somewhat critical Commander." reported Colonel Leon said. "Do you think it's wise to use up so much fuel when we don't even know if the Titan is in danger yet?"**

"**I don't know Colonel, maybe it would be a waste of fuel, but I think I'd rather error on the side of caution then be wrong and loss a good ship and her crew." Bannon said emphatically. **

"**I didn't mean it like that sir!" Leon began to say before Verga cut him off.**

"**I think you're right Commander, we can't afford to wait and see if these aliens are peaceful or not, not with the Titan outnumbered twenty to one. Take your task force up to light speed immediately and rendezvous with the Titan. Maybe if these aliens see your group they'll be more inclined to talk."**

"**Yes sir, we'll get underway immediately! Bannon said and his monitor went black. Within a centon, the Gunstar Phoenix, the Battlestar Alexandria and twelve of the fleet's destroyers broke off from the fleet and jumped to light speed. Verga watched as his second in command charged off to meet up with the Titan to determine if they had just found what could be a very dangerous enemy.**

**On the bridge of the Titan, things were getting a bit more tense as the alien fleet kept closing the distance between them. Gellis had thought about making a jump to light speed, but they were so low on fuel, they would not be able to get far enough away from their pursuers to make a difference, so he decided the best course of action was to run at flank speed and hope they would somehow reach the fleet before the alien ships could catch up. Unfortunatley, circumstances was not on their side.**

"**Colonel, seven centons until the alien force is in weapons range." Major Jax reported as she stood by Aleman and his scanner station. Aleman had begun detailed scans of the pursuing ships as soon as they had come into range and found that****they were unlike anything he had ever seen before. The material they were made of was a totally unknown element that the computer was having problems even getting a clear scan of. It was as if only part of the scanning signal was returning to them.**

"**How long before the Genesis and the rest of the fleet arrive?" Gellis asked, concern leaking into his tone slightly.**

"**Estimate eleven centons till the fleet arrives." Jax said.**

"**Alright then, if we can't outrun these people, then we might as well turn around and see if we can persuade them to leave us alone. Major, take us battle stations! Have both squadrons report to landing bays and prepare to launch, all gun crews are to make ready for battle. Have them hold fire until they receive orders from me unless we fall under actual attack."**

**Then to Ensign Daines, he said, "Daines, have you been able to contact our friends out there yet?"**

"**Nothing yet sir!"**

"**Alright then, get a message off to the fleet immediately. Tell them that we have been unable to outrun our pursuers and have been unable to establish contact with them to determine their intent. Tell them that at this time, I am engaging the inbound fleet in an attempt to ascertain their intentions."**

"**Yes sir." Daines said and turned to carry out the order when a message came thru.**

"**Sir, incoming message from Commander Bannon."**

"**Put it thru Ensign."**

"**Phoenix to Titan, do you copy?" came Bannon's voice.**

"**This is Titan Commander." Gellis replied.**

"**Whats your status there Colonel?" Bannon asked.**

"**Still no contact with the approaching vessels. I am preparing to come about and engage them at this time sir." Gellis reported, then he added halfheartedly, "Any chance of getting a little assistance sir?"**

"**I think I can accommodate that request Colonel!" Bannon replied.**

**And as if on cue, the Phoenix and her task force dropped out of light speed and cruised up on the Titan's position. **

"**You ask for assistance, you get assistance!" Bannon joked as Gellis watched the Phoenix move into the lead position ahead of the Titan."**

"**Holy frak!" Gellis said under his breath, then into his comm unit he said, "How in Hades did you do that Commander? I've never seen anyone come out of light speed with such precision before!"**

"**Military secret my friend! I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you!" Bannon said with a chuckle, then more seriously he asked, "So where are our friends at?"**

**He didn't have to wait long because at that moment the alien vessels came into visual range. **

**They had slowed down substantially when they realized the Titan had stopped running and had turned to face them, then they came to a complete stop when the Phoenix and it's task force dropped out of light speed right on top of the Titan. It seemed to Gellis that now that the sides were almost even, these aliens didn't seem so interested in starting trouble.**

**The two groups of ships sat for several moments facing each other across the vastness of space, neither moving. Bannon had his scanner operator run a full scan of the ships that faced them to determine who they were and what type of weapons they had, just in case things got dicey! The scanner operator finished the scans and called Bannon over to look at the results. What he saw made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. At that moment, a message was picked up by the Colonial vessels. It was a simple, three word message sent in Colonial standard with no greeting or identification. It simply asked:**

"**What are you?"**

**Bannon looked at the message and wondered what they meant. What did they mean by "what are you"? He stared at the message on the screen for several microns before sending his own message. He also ordered all the ships of the task force to be prepared for anything. Then he sent the message.**

"**Human. What are you?"**

**There was a somewhat lengthy pause before the reply was received. The answer sent chills thru everyone in the group.**

"**Cylon"**

**Bannon immediately switched over to the task force channel and ordered the commanders of each ship to hold their fire. Something wasn't right. If these were Cylons, why didn't they attack? He knew that they had scanned his task force and knew they were human, and yet they didn't attack!**

**Then a thought came to him. A memory of the origins of the Cylons, of how they were built by a race of …**

**In that moment he knew these were not the same "Cylons" that the human race had been at war with for over a millennium. He knew that these "people" couldn't be the same Cylons that had destroyed the Colonies or the fleet or Phantom base. **

**Bannon knew because the lifeform reading from their scans read: REPTILIAN.**

**Realization came to him like a tidal wave as he finally realized who these "people" were.**

**Just as the thought occurred to him, the communications officer called over to him.**

"**Commander, message coming in from the Genesis. Commander Verga says they have us on scanners and will arrive in less then two centons. He also asks if the alien fleet has shown any hostility towards us."**

**Bannon looked out at the alien fleet for a moment then told the com officer, "Tell Commander Verga that we have made contact with the Cylons!**

"**Real, living, breathing, flesh and blood Cylons!"**


	21. The Past Revealed

Battlestar Galactica

Past, Present, Future

Chapter 21

The Past Revealed

"What was that you said?" Verga said into the comm unit he wore as a cold sweat began to form on his forehead.

Colonel Leon stood next to Commander Verga watching as a parade of emotions played across his friends face. Surprise, fear, uncertainty, disbelief, astonishment and a dozen more played across the man's face as he listened to the report coming in from Commander Bannon. When he was through listening, he removed his com unit and handed it to the communications officer, a look of total bewilderment on his face.

"Are you alright Commander?" asked Leon, the concern for his commanding officer evident in his tone.

Verga looked at Leon as if he didn't have a clue as to who he was or what he had just said, then sensibility returned to his eyes and he began to speak in a very subdued tone.

"Colonel, order the fleet to resume space normal speed immediately and have all senior commanders report aboard the Genesis."

"Yes sir." Leon said, then cautiously asked again. "Whats going on sir? What's happened?"

Verga looked his friend in the face, an expression of shock, bewilderment and yes … fear, and said, "Bannon has just made a discovery that is going to rewrite history as we knew it.

Twenty centons after receiving the report from Commander Bannon and fifteen centons after the Genesis and her fleet arrived at his location, the commanders of every ship were assembled in the "War Room" of the Genesis to be briefed on Commander Bannon's discovery and to meet with a totally unexpected guest.

"Commander Verga, Commander Bannon's shuttle has just landed in Alpha landing bay." Colonel Leon reported to his commanding officer.

Verga nodded to his subordinate and continued to stare at a file he had pulled off the immense database contained in the Genesis's computer core. Leon watched him curiously as the Commander flipped thru the various pages of the file. Leon thought it was interesting that the Commander had the information printed out on paper instead of directly downloaded into an infopad like most people did, but over the yahren he had learned that the Commander seemed to prefer doing many things the "old fashioned" way, and one of those things was having all reports and the like printed out on paper. He seemed, Leon thought, to relish the feeling of the paper and turning the pages as opposed to simply pressing a button on an infopad.

After several moments, Verga closed the file and slide it to the side. He looked around the large room at his officers, watching them as they talked quietly amongst themselves and wondered how they were going to react to what they were about to learn. Something that would change everything they knew about the history of the war with the Cylons. Then he opened the file and retrieved a piece of paper and handed it to Colonel Leon.

"Colonel, would you please turn the environmental controls to these settings?"

Leon took the paper and started to stand up and do as he was asked. His eyes widened as he read what was on the sheet and turned to Commander Verga.

"Are you sure you want to change to these settings sir? This will make it awful uncomfortable in here sir."

Verga looked up at the Colonel and said, "I know, it will be a bit uncomfortable for us, but Commander Bannon is bringing some … "guests" with him and these are the conditions that are most comfortable for them, so please make the changes Colonel."

Leon nodded to his commanding officer and went to take care of his request.

A few centons later the heat and humidity in the room became noticeably higher. Several officers unbuttoned the collars of their uniform tunics as the temperature and humidity continued to rise. Finally Commander Sachs asked, "Is there something wrong with the environmental controls in here? It seems to be getting awful hot and muggy!"

Commander Verga stood up and was about to say something when the doors to the "War Room" slide open and Commander Bannon called the room to attention! The Warriors snapped to attention immediately and ceased all conversations. Bannon glanced up to where Commander Verga was standing and gave him an almost unperceivable nod. Verga returned the gesture and moved in front of the table. Bannon then announced to the room …

"Know all those present, the scion of Cylon approaches!"

This caused everyone in the room to turn toward Bannon and the open door, a low buzz of hushed conversations going on throughout. A few microns later six short, slightly hunched over figures passed thru the door followed by a somewhat larger one, then six more of the smaller figures followed. They all wore long, heavy brownish-green robes with hoods that were pulled up over the heads of new arrivals. The robes went all the way to the deck, covering the feet of the people and the large, flared sleeves covered the hands and arms as they held them together in front of their bodies.

The group made their way to the front of the room, where the lead group of six took up positions behind the chair at the far end of the table. The larger figure stopped in front of the chair and the six that had followed behind took up positions between the large figure and the assembled humans, forming a kind of protective wall around the larger figure.

Every human eye in the room was transfixed on the small group of robed figures, trying to catch even a glance of the faces of the people under the hoods. Commander Bannon walked to the front of the room and stopped next to Commander Verga, whispering something into his ear. Verga's expression never changed, he simply nodded his head. Then Bannon stepped forward and said, "Officers of the Phantom fleet, it is my honor to present to you the scion of the Cylon race, the Imperium of Cylos."

The room was again abuzz with the sound of hushed conversations. This was quickly silenced by angry glances from Verga and Bannon. Then Commander Verga stepped forward and bowed slightly and said, "I bid you greetings Imperium. On behalf of the people of our fleet, I welcome you and your people aboard the Battlestar Genesis."

The largest of the Cylons stood extremely still for nearly a centon, neither moving nor uttering a sound. Verga was beginning to wonder if the Cylon could understand him when the Cylon leader began make a hissing-growling sound. A few microns later, an electronic "voice" was heard coming from what appeared to be a small green amulet that hung from the Imperium's neck.

"We thank you for your kindness Commander Verga. We are honored."

Verga exchanged a glance with Bannon, who knew exactly what his friend was thinking, the electronic "voice" the Cylon Imperium used was that of the mechanical Cylon Centurions.

"It is we that are honored Imperium. Please, be seated. Can we offer you anything? A refreshment perhaps?"

There was another lengthy pause before the Imperium answered. Then the Imperium began another round of strange hissing and growls. The voice from the amulet spoke again.

"That will not be necessary Commander, thou we appreciate the offer." the Imperium said thru his amulet, "We would like to discuss the matter of the Centurions with you."

"Yes, I too would like to discuss that topic." Verga said then added hesitantly, "If I may ask Imperium, what is that amulet you wear around your neck? Is it some sort of translator?"

The Imperium sat very still for several moments before responding.

"Yes, it is a translation device used by my people for over a millennia. It allows me to understand your words and speak to you in your language."

"It is a fascinating device Imperium, but I must tell you, it sounds exactly like a Cylon … I mean a Centurions voice."

"Yes, I'm sure it does Commander. Both the translator and the Centurions use the same audible modules."

"I see, that explains a lot." Verga said and then added, "You said you wished to discuss the Centurions with us, what is it you would like to know?"

After a short wait the Imperium replied.

"Everything!"

Verga looked at the Imperium questioningly.

"Everything? What do you mean by "Everything"?"

Another short pause before the answer came.

"Yes, we have need of any information that you may have about the Centurions. Anything you can tell us will help us with our quest!"

Verga and Bannon exchanged a look before Verga asked, "What quest?"

Again the pause.

"We are on a quest to set right that which we set in motion so long ago."

Verga shook his head slightly, saying, "I don't understand, what did you set in motion?"

"The Centurions!"

This started a new round of whispers to run thru the assembled officers.

"It is because of my people that the Centurions have done all that they have. We are responsible for all the death and destruction they have caused. We must fix this."

"How can you fix what the Centurions have done?" Verga asked. "What is it you plan on doing?"

The Imperium sat still for a moment, then slowly raised his hands, hands covered with grayish-green scales and long, sharp, razor like claws, to the edge of the hood that had covered the Imperium's head completely from view and pulled back the hood, revealing the Imperium's face to Verga and the rest of the humans in the room.

The face of a living Cylon!

Throughout the room, people began whispering amongst themselves with expressions ranging from pure fascination to utter horror. Never in the history of human kind had a human laid eyes on a real live Cylon! Verga silenced the murmuring with an angry look. Then the Cylon Imperium continued.

"It is our intention to seek out the Centurions, where ever we find them, and destroy them."

This statement caused another round of quick comments among the officers of the fleet. Verga silenced them with a look and asked.

"Why would you want to do this? Why now after all these yahren? Your people have been safe from the Centurions for over a millennium, why would you want to risk facing them now?"

"Because you could not stop them." the Imperium said after the usual delay. "Because your people could not end the horror that we created, now we must return to the stars of our ancestors and set right that which they unleashed upon the galaxy."

The murmur of hushed voices began again in earnest at this. Even Commander Bannon made comment on this.

"Oh, I don't believe this, after more then a millennium they finally decided to get involved! What a pile of mong!"

Verga fixed Bannon with a stare that could have froze a man's blood in his veins, any that is except for Bannon who hardly noticed his commanding officers stare as he was too infuriated to care what Verga or anyone else thought at that moment.

"Do you know how many of our people have been killed by those mechanized horrors you left behind? Billions! Billions of human beings have lost their lives in a war that you and your people could have prevented!"

"That's enough Commander!" Verga roared at Bannon before he could say another word. "I will not have one of my officer's conduct themselves in such a manner. If you can not control yourself Commander, consider yourself dismissed!"

Bannon turned on Verga with fire in his eyes. He stared at his commanding officer and best friend for several moments, the flames of fury burning in his eyes with an intensity that unnerved even the stalwart Verga. Then some semblance of restraint began to return to him and he replied, "That won't be necessary Commander. Then he turned to the Cylon Imperium and said, "My apologies Imperium, I was completely out of line."

The Cylon Imperium stared blankly at Commander Bannon for several moments before replying, "No apologies necessary Commander. I fully understand your feelings. But believe me when I tell you that our ancestors could not have stopped the Centurions. When the Centurions struck, there was no warning of their impending treachery! No chance to defend themselves from what happened."

Verga listened to the Imperium for a moment and then asked, "Can you tell us what happened to your people? What turned the Centurions against your people and caused them to wipe out your civilization?

The Imperium stared at Verga for several moments before responding.

"I will tell you our story Commander, but to tell it, I will have to tell you about it from the very beginning. Back to a time long before your people had reached the stars, back to a time before even we had obtained the ability to travel amongst the heavens, to a time more then twenty thousand yahren ago, a time when my people were still in their technological infancy."

Verga and Bannon exchanged a surprised glance before Verga asked the Imperium to continue.

"Twenty millennia ago, my people were a very hostile and warlike race, very primitive compared to what we are now, very territorial, constantly at war with one another, never having really known peace. We lived in a state of constant anarchy!" the Imperium began, "But then things began to change. We learned to work together, live together in peace. We began to form collectives. After a time, these collectives became clans, living in villages, then towns, and finally in magnificent cities."

"There was still the occasionally conflict between clans over land or food, but these were never very destructive, usually lasting no more then a sectar or two before each side grew tired of the violence and simply stopped fighting. This was our way for several millennia … until the Great War!"

"The Great War?" Verga exclaimed.

"Yes." the Imperium said after a short pause. "It was nearly fifteen millennia ago that the Great War began. Our people had finally learned to live and work together in relative harmony and were starting to become a modern, industrialized society with a bright future. But then it happened. An obscure Warlord of the Shkirate Clan who's name has been lost to history decided that his people should be the dominate clan of the Quinar continent, so he began a war of conquest, and after nearly fifty yahren of war in which over a billion Cylon's died, he had consolidated all the clans of Quinar under his rule, thus forming what he called the "Quinar Clan."

"It was not long after, that the Warlord turned his eye to the neighboring continent of Kradak and decided he would conquer them as well, then move on to the Garnar continent, which was at that time the most populous of the continents on Cylos."

"Cylos?" Bannon asked questioningly.

"Yes, that is the name for our home world." The Imperium said.

"Oh." Bannon said with a slow nodding of his head. The Imperium continued.

"The people of Kradak asked those of Garnar for assistance against the Warlord of Quinar and the two joined forces against the one. This was the start of the Great War, a war that lasted for over three thousand yahren!"

"Three thousand yahren, that's unbelievable." Bannon said softly.

"Yes, three thousand yahren! Hundreds of billions of our people died in this war, hundreds of clans were eliminated, others almost so. The devastation to our world was unbelievable."

"Dear Lords, what happened?" Verga asked. "How could things have gotten so far out of hand?"

"Because we failed to see that our constant fighting was leading us to the brink of extinction. You see, by this time, we had advanced to a point were war was almost a game. At the end, those that fought the war never saw each other. They simply pressed a few buttons and made all Cylos burned!" The Imperium said, the sadness of his voice obvious even thru the electronically synthesized voice unit. After a moment, the Imperium continued.

"But I am getting ahead of myself, I must tell you how it is we arrived at that point." the Imperium said. "Our people made great advances in the ways we did our killing during the yahren leading up to the Great War. For thousands of yahren our people simply attacked one another in great hordes with clubs, blades and spears. But then came the "launcher", a small, device we used for propelling spears greater distances and with much more force. Not long after that came the "hixta" which was a long, narrow piece of wood that was bent into a half circle and had the ends connected by fibra. With this, one could launch small spears, what we call "spearlas" at our enemies from a distance."

"We had a similar weapon that we call the "bow and arrow". " Verga said. The Cylon Imperium nodded his head in understanding, and then he continued.

"It was that way for many centuries until we discovered "firepowder" and began developing ways to use it in our warring. When we had done this, the killing increased dramatically. Our people found ways to hurl canisters of the firepowder great distances using machines and making it burst into flames in the heart of the enemies' armies, causing great death and destruction. But that was not enough, soon they found ways of using the firepowder itself to propel even larger canisters of firepowder. This made our warfare even more deadly."

Many of the officers of the fleet shivered as the Imperium told his tale. The similarities between the Cylons history and their own were eerily similar.

"It was several centuries after that that the next great leap in our warring was discovered. Our people discovered how to fly! They found ways to use the primitive machines of the time to lift themselves into the sky and not long after, how to rain death down upon their enemies. Once again, the death tolls rose faster then ever before."

"But even this was not enough, for thirteen millennia ago, our people discovered a way to split the atom and with that the power to change the world they knew." the Imperium went on. "This brought about an age of new technologies, both for peace and war making. The splitting of the atom gave our people the ability to build power generating facilities all over Cylos. It also seemed to bring about some changes in the way the leaders of the clans thought in regards to the wars that had raged across our planet for so long. They realized that anyone with the ability to use this atom splitting technology could become a very dangerous enemy, so many of the more powerful clans formed an alliance that would regulate this new source of power and keep it from being misused. After much discussion, they decided the best way to do this was to limit the technology and keep it to themselves. This worked for awhile but eventually, some of the smaller and more violent clans were able to acquire the technology and began building weapons of mass destruction. This made the larger clans very angry and more then a bit nervous. The larger clans tried in vain to get them to discontinue their building of these weapons, but the smaller clans refused and said they would use them against any clan that tried to stop them."

The Imperium paused for several moments for what Verga believed was a rush of emotions to pass, thou it was nearly impossible to tell what he was feeling since his features were so alien. After thirty or forty microns, the Imperium continued.

"When they failed to negotiate the weapons away from these small aggressor clans, they tried to take them by force. It was the beginning of the end."

Again the Imperium paused. The human's all seemed shocked by the story of the Cylon's rise and then their seeming fall. The Imperium continued.

"It all started when the three most powerful clans, the Quinar, the Bolack, and the Shivar joined forces and attempted to disarm all the clans that had developed weapons of the atom. It was an extremely bloody affair, costing millions of lives even before the smaller clans retaliated for the attacks. The first to strike back was the Edta clan. They had built a score of warheads and the missiles to deliver them by the time the attacks began. They warned the greater clans to cease their aggressions or face annihilation, but the attacks continued, so the Edta launched all their weapons at the three aggressor clans. This set off a chain reaction where by the larger clans launched their missiles at the Edta and this in turn made several other small clans launched their missiles. When all was said and done, every major population center on Cylos was nothing more then a smoldering pile of melted slag and ash. The total number of dead was never truly counted because so many billions were vaporized in the blasts."

"My god, you mean they destroyed each other?" Bannon asked, hardly able to fathom what he had just heard.

"Yes Commander, that is exactly what they did." the Imperium said. "The Great War destroyed everything my people had ever built and forced them to live as our ancient ancestors had thousands of yahren before. It is believed that less then ten thousand of our people survived the war and many of those that did, died soon afterward from the radiation. Life for my people in the yahren that followed was extremely hard and dangerous as there were no governments, no laws, no civilization, we were on the edge of extinction. It took several centuries for our people to rebuild some semblance of civilization again, and that at a very primitive level."

"Sounds like your people started at the very beginning again, technologically speaking, why didn't they just rebuild what was destroyed and go from there, without the violence?" Commander Sachs asked.

It took several moments for the Imperium to respond.

"We could not. All of our leaders and scientist were gone. Those few of our people that survived had been agriculturists; they knew little of science and technology, only the raising of crops, so there was no one to show our people how to rebuild what once was. It would be many hundreds of yahren before our people even tried to advance our culture to what it once was, and when they did, the fighting began anew."

"After all they had gone thru; they still hadn't learned their lesson!" Bannon said to himself.

"It was as it had been in the past, at first it was small skirmishes between the few remaining clans over food and land, then it escalated. Soon my people were again having full scale wars against one another. This went on for some ten millennia, and thou millions were to die in the constant warfare, it never reached the levels of destruction it had during the end of the Great War."

Verga, Bannon and the others all nodded their heads, understanding what the Imperium had said.

"The weapons technology did progress, in fact, it progressed farther then it had before the Great War with the invention of lasers pistols and rifles, plasma bombs, Octanitrocubinite missiles and photonic grenades. The difference this time was that the leaders of the clans did not build the weapons of mass destruction that our ancestors had before."

"They decided to go in a different direction."

"And what was that?" Verga asked.

"The leaders of the Quinar clan, which a small part of had survived, decided instead of trying to improve the weapons of war, they would improve those that fought the battles. They began turning their Centurions into cybernetic Warriors!"

"Oh my lord! That's how it began!" Bannon said.

"Yes Commander, that is correct." The Imperium said. "And it was all due to the appearance of the Enlightened One!"

"The Enlightened One, who's that?" Commander Verga asked.

"He was the knowledge bringer. He was the one that put our people on the path to extinction. He is the one that brought about our demise!"

Bannon and Verga exchanged a glance before Verga asked, "How did this Enlightened One bring about the demise of the Cylons? What did he do to facilitate it?"

"To tell you that, I will have to tell you of the time just prior to his coming, a time when we could have brought about lasting peace on Cylos once and for all or destroy it entire."

"Just before the appearance of the Enlightened One, our people had reached a level of technology that was nearly as high as it had been at the time of the Great War, only all of the clans had agreed not to use the power of the atom to make weapons that could annihilate our species again. Now mind you, we still had our wars, but they were fought with much less destructive weapons."

"It was during one of these wars between two of the larger clans, the Quinar and the Fahtare' that the Enlightened One appeared. It is said that he first appeared at the headquarters of the Fahtare'. No one knew where he had come from or how he had gotten there, but the story tells that the warlords of the Fahtare' were going over their battle plans and the next thing they knew, he was there among them."

"They didn't see him come in?" Bannon asked.

"No, he was simply there." the Imperium said. "Of course they had their guards try to apprehend him, but it is said that he somehow disabled their weapons and when they tried to restrain him, he tossed them off with a wave of his hand."

"Amazing!" Bannon said softly.

"It was then that the Enlightened One told the Fahtare' that, if they would follow him, he would lead them to victory over their enemies. The Fahtare' did not believe him and told him to leave, but the Enlightened One said that if they would not accept his offer, he would go to the Quinar and make them the same offer. The Fahtare' discussed this amongst themselves and decided to accept the offer of the Enlightened One."

"The Enlightened One showed the Fahtare' how to build the parts that would be implanted into the Centurions and how to do the implantations. At first, those that were implanted died by the hundreds due to the shock of having their bodies torn apart and then put back together with all those metal parts inside them. But the Enlightened One showed them a way to overcome this setback and within five yahren, over a million Fahtare' Centurions had been transformed from beings of flesh and blood to cybernetic killing machines."

"A million Centurions! How did you find so many volunteers?" Sachs asked.

"They did not volunteer Commander, they were selected by their clan warlord." the Imperium told them. "It was considered a great honor to be selected for transformation."

"An honor! How could they consider having their bodies mutilated like that "an honor"?"

"It was their way Commander." the Imperium responded.

Sachs shook her head in disgust at the thought of an intelligent species like the Cylons allowing themselves to be mutilated like that, it was just too unreal!

"As I was telling you before, the Enlightened One gave the Fahtare' the technology to become the predominate clan on Cylos, or so it seemed, because when the Fahtare' sent their new army of cybernetic Centurions into battle, they found themselves face to face with the cybernetic army of Quinar!"

"What?" Verga exclaimed as he sat forward in his seat.

"Yes, it seems that the Enlightened One had given the same assistance to the Quinar as well. The warlords of both clans were furious that they had been played for fools and used against each other by the Enlightened One, but the hatred between the two was so great that they could not hold back their armies. The battle that took place lasted for over a secton without a single moment's respite. The Centurions of both clans had been implanted with neurogenic processors that were programmed to keep them fighting until they detected no more of the enemy that were capable of resistance. When all was said and done, there was only one Centurion left alive, a Centurion of the Quinar."

"Only one survivor out of over a million, that's incredible!" Bannon said. "What happened then?"

"The Quinar still had a formidable army of non-enhanced Centurions at their disposal, so they marched into the lands of the Fahtare' and destroyed them, leaving not a single Fahtare' alive. It was then that the Enlightened One came to claim his leadership over the Quinar."

Verga, Bannon and the rest of the assembled officers were all on the edges of their seats as they listened to the Imperium's tale.

"Of course the leaders of the Quinar refused to turn over leadership to the Enlightened One, claiming that he had lied to them by helping the Fahtare', giving them the same technology he had given the Quinar and not making them the ultimate power on all Cylos. They told him that they won the battle without his assistance and that except for his showing them how to build the cybernetic implants, he had done nothing to help their cause."

"Of course the Enlightened One claimed he had fulfilled his part of the bargain, saying he had given them what they wanted, the means to defeat their enemies, and that they were now the preeminent clan on Cylos. But the leaders of the Quinar refused his claims and told him to leave. The Enlightened One left them, but not before he swore that he would take his vengeance on them."

"This the Quinar ignored as they rebuilt their cybernetic army and continually improved on the technology that helped make it. They improved the functionality of the various implants and upgraded the memory circuits of the computer systems. This caused some problems at first with the added weight, but the Quinar scientist found that by adding an exoskeleton to their cybernetic Centurions, they could easily handle the added weight. It worked out so well that the scientist even found they could add over fifty kilons of armored plating to the Centurions without any lose of performance."

"Amazing!" Verga whispered under his breath.

"Of course the other clans, after seeing what the Quinar and Fahtare' had done, began working on their own enhanced Centurions. They scavenged the battlefield for the remains of the fallen Centurions and removed whatever pieces they could, using them to engineer their own version of the cybernetic implants. Before long, dozens of clans were building cybernetic armies of their own. It seemed that another war was in the making and nothing could stop it."

"Nothing but one small clan that is."

"One clan?" Verga asked.

"Yes, the Shakare'" the Imperium said. "The Shakare' were one of the smaller clans to survive the Great War, having less then a hundred members when the war ended, but they were also one of the few clans that had been able to maintain some of the higher level technologies, which they kept well hidden from the other clans. They had for many millennia used these technologies to help them survive without raising the suspicions of the more powerful clans and had in fact been the first clan approached by the Enlightened One. He gave them not the plans to construct the cybernetic implants for their people, but plans to build completely mechanical Centurion's!"

The officers of the fleet began whispering amongst themselves again when they heard this. Could this be how the "Cylons" as they knew them came into being?

"The Shakare' worked in absolute secrecy for generations as they built their army of mechanical Centurions, never once letting on as to what they were doing until the day the Quinar began their next attempt to take over the planet. Little did the Quinar know it would be their last as they made the mistake of starting their conquest of Cylos with the Shakare'. The Quinar army marched into Shakare' territory, destroying everything in their path with an army numbering over two million cybernetic Centurions and half again as many flesh and blood Centurions. The Quinar army followed the course of one of the rivers that lead thru the valley of the Shakare', which was wide at one end and narrowed considerably as you progressed deeper. The narrowness of the pass forced the Quinar army to march in a long, narrow column. It was at that point the Shakare' struck."

"The Shakare' used firepowder to bring the walls of the narrow pass down on the Quinar Centurions. Nearly all of the cybernetic units and most the flesh and blood Centurions were in the pass when the firepowder was ignited. Many were the losses of the Quinar, but the battle had just begun, for the mechanical Centurions of the Shakare' attacked from both the front and the rear of the long column as well as from above on the rim of the pass. The narrowness of the pass made it impossible for the Quinar to form into their usual battle formation, thus leaving them exposed to the heavy weapons fire of the Shakare' Centurions. The cybernetic Centurions of the Quinar were the first ones to be dealt with since they were the most dangerous, but proved to be no match for the Shakare' Centurions superior size, strength, speed and firepower."

"The battle lasted only three and a half centars, but in that time, the entire Quinar army was annihilated."

"The entire army? That would have been over three million Centurions!" Bannon said, astonished that so many Centurions could be wiped out so quickly.

"Yes, the Shakare' Centurions were very efficient. Even thou they numbered only twelve thousand, they were still able to destroy a force of over three million. From that moment on, the Shakare' became the predominate clan on Cylos. They began their own campaign of conquest, using their mechanical Centurions to wipe out any resistance. Many clans submitted to the Shakare's demands without protest, afraid that they would be annihilated by the Shakare' Centurions. It took only six yahren for the Shakare' to bring the clans of Cylos under their control, and for the first time in nearly twenty millennia, the people of Cylos knew peace."

"You mean the Shakare' didn't use their army of Centurions to enslave the other clans?" Sachs asked.

"No Commander, they did not." the Imperium answered. "The Shakare' were a very peace loving clan, forced to war by the Quinar and to conquest by necessity. They knew that if there was to ever be peace on Cylos, they would have to be the ones to bring it, so they did."

"What did your people do then?" Verga asked.

"For hundreds of yahren our people lived in peace and prosperity on Cylos. We advanced our sciences and culture to heights never before achieved by our ancestors because of their constant warring. We found ways to cure diseases, found ways to feed our people more efficiently, cleaned up the land, water and air of the pollutants that we had put their thru our ignorance and war making, and we learned how to send spacecraft to other planets."

"How long ago was that?" Colonel Leon asked.

"Just short of two millennia ago." the Imperium answered. "We began by sending unoccupied missiles and probes to the nearby moons that orbit Cylos, then to the other planets in our system. After four hundred yahren of exploration and technological advancements, we were able to not only travel great spans of the galaxy in short periods of time, but we began colonizing a number of worlds to help with the problem of over population and food shortages we were beginning to experience. Before the end, we had colonized over two hundred planets in eighty three different star systems. That is where my ancestors came from, one of the farthest outlaying planets. We were the only ones to survive the "Purge."

"The "Purge?" questioned Verga.

"Yes, that is what it has become known as among my people. It is what the Centurions called it when they began their annihilation of my people."

"When did this happen? How did it all come about Imperium?" Verga asked.

"The "Purge" happened some fourteen hundred yahren ago and the tale has been told amongst my people ever since, so let me tell you how it is that we came to be as we are today." the Imperium told Verga and the others.

"Those of us here are all descended from the survivors of the agricultural colony on the planet Shirok. Our people grew many of the food crops that helped sustain the homeworld and other species with whom we had trade agreements. It was a small outpost with only ten thousand people and a Centurion garrison of a thousand that was for the defense of the colony."

"On the day of the "Purge", life started as it always had except that the communications equipment for the colony was inoperable and was being repaired. This would eventually save us, because little did any of our people know, but an old enemy was about to take revenge on us. The Enlightened One had somehow taken over one of the new "IL Series" of command automations and was about to turn our army of Centurions against us."

"How could he do that?" Bannon asked.

"Each colony had a garrison of Centurions for protection and these were sent commands thru the communications system of each colony. These messages were basically ignored by the communications operators since they were usually just reminders to do their scheduled maintenance, so they were simply sent thru to the command Centurion of each garrison without the normal screening being done. But this time the message was intercepted by the operators when they were checking the communications system to see if their repairs were done properly. When the operator discovered that the Centurions were planning to kill every Cylon in the galaxy the following day, he went to the colony leader and gave it to him. He in turn notified the other colony leaders of the Centurions plan and they formulated a way to get rid of the Centurions."

"What did they do?" Verga asked.

"The leaders decided that they would first have to find a way to disarm the Centurions, then destroy them without raising their suspicions, something not easily done as the Centurions were programmed to question anything that was not a part of their normal program, and handing over their weapons was not a part of their normal programming!"

"So how did they get the Centurions to disarm?" Verga asked.

"They gave the command Centurion a false message using the authentication code from the message ordering the Centurions to kill all of my people. Of course the Centurion confirmed the message, but that meant it would enter the code into the system to confirm it was an authentic message, not to confirm it's contents."

"The message they gave the command Centurion was that it was to assemble the garrison in the auditorium and turn over all weapons to the colony leader for his inspection and approval. The command Centurion did not understand the order, but since it had come from the Centurion command center and had been authenticated, it obeyed the order."

"Did your people try and warn the other colonies about what was going to happen?" Verga asked.

"Yes Commander, they did try to warn the other colonies, but the Centurions had begun jamming all the communications frequencies. We had no way to warn the others."

"So what happened next?" Bannon asked.

"The Centurions were assembled in the auditorium as ordered, dropping off their weapons as they entered. The colony leaders and many others took the weapons and arranged themselves in the upper level of the auditorium and when the last of the Centurions was inside and unarmed, the colonist opened fire on them. Many of the Centurions tried to reach the exits while others tried to climb the steps to the upper level. They were cut down before they could get very far however. In less then five centons, the entire garrison was destroyed. When the leaders of the colony began checking the remains of the Centurions, they found the command Centurion badly damaged but still operational among a large pile of other Centurions. When it "saw" the colony leader it responded, "By your command." The leader responded to the damaged unit, "Speak." The Centurion asked, "Why did you do this?" The leader told the Command Centurion, "Because we had to." And with that, the leader fired point blank into the command Centurion, destroying it."

The Imperium was silent for several microns before he began again.

"The leaders of the colony knew that the Centurions would want confirmation of the success of the garrison before too long, and when that did not come, they would send reinforcements to investigate. So the leaders of the colony picked one thousand of our people to stay behind and make the Centurions believe that they had killed all the others before the Centurions themselves were destroyed. The remaining members of the colony loaded whatever food and supplies they could into their transport ships and headed off into the deepest realms of space, never to return."

"Until now!" Verga said.

"Until now." the Imperium affirmed. "Now the time has come for the Cylons to take responsibility for the mistakes of our past and set things right. That is why we have returned, to destroy the Centurions. However, we need your assistance to do this. We need you to tell us everything you can about the Centurions so we will know how to deal with them most effectively. So I ask you now Commander, will you help us? Will you help us destroy the Centurions?"

Even with the electronically synthesized voice of the translation device the Imperium wore, Verga could tell that the Imperium was almost pleading for their assistance. He looked over at Commander Bannon, who seemed deep in thought as he stared at the Imperium. Then he caught Verga's eyes and in the time it takes to blink ones eyes, the two senior Commanders had discussed and agreed to help the Cylons in their quest.

"Yes Imperium, we will help you." Verga said. "We will see to it that you have access to whatever information we have concerning the Centurions."

The Imperium's expression changed slightly to what Verga believed was a smile!

"My thanks to you Commander, with your assistance, we are all but assured of victory over the Centurions now."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up too high Imperium; the Centurions are a very dangerous and powerful foe." Bannon told the Cylon leader. "Their fleet was nearly as vast in number as your own and that was nearly thirty yahren ago. There's no telling how many Baseships they have now!"

"True Commander, but we do not have a choice. The Centurions have been allowed for far too long to destroy the civilizations of others, yours included. The time has come for my people to stop that which we unleashed upon the galaxy. We may not have enough ships or weapons to defeat them, but we must try!"

"What happens if you can't destroy them?" Raylac asked.

"The Centurions will continue to destroy anyone and anything that stands in their way. They will continue until someone powerful enough to stop them does. I only hope that we are able to do it."

"I see," Verga said thoughtfully. "Tell me Imperium, what types of weapons do you plan on using?"

The Imperium sat quietly for several moments as if trying to decide whether or not to tell these total strangers what type of weapons they possessed, then he continued.

"We have a variety of weapons in our arsenal Commander, plasma cannons, missiles with five thousand kilon Octanitrocubinite warheads, one thousand giga-joule photonic mines and twenty million giga-ergon laser cannons. Why do you ask?"

Verga cast a sideways glance at Bannon and Leon before answering.

"I'm afraid that those weapons of yours won't be very effective. They're nowhere near powerful enough to stop the Centurion's top of the line Baseships." Bannon said. "We were using ten thousand kilon Solinite missiles thirty yahren ago and it always took multiple hits to destroy a baseship."

"Solinite? I am not familiar with Solinite, what is that?" the Imperium asked.

"It's an extremely powerful explosive compound that we've used in our missiles for the last six or seven hundred yahren." Bannon told him. "It's much more powerful and stable then Octanitrocubinite. One Solinite warhead has as much explosive power as a hundred Octanitrocubinite warheads."

"Perhaps you would be willing to trade some of these Solinite missiles to us?" the Imperium inquired.

"Perhaps, I will need to discuss this with my staff first however." Verga said.

"Of course Commander, I understand." the Imperium responded. "Perhaps we should meet again after you've had time think on our requests."

"That might be a good idea Imperium, when would be most convenient for you?" Verga asked.

"Let us meet again in two centars aboard my command ship. I will have a transport carry you over."

Verga nodded, "Two centars aboard your ship it is. I look forward to it. Ensign Rome will escort you back to the landing bay."

The Imperium rose from his seat and pulled the hood back over his head. Verga and Bannon stood, followed by the rest of the officers in the room. The Imperium and his entourage followed behind the young, dark haired Ensign and left the war room.

When the door slide shut behind them, the officers of the Phantom Fleet began talking in earnest. Everyone had an opinion or question about their unexpected visitors and the information reveled by them. Verga ordered the room to silence, then told each and every one of those present that everything they had just heard was classified as top secret and was not to be discussed outside of the war room. He then asked his senior staff to remain and dismissed the rest of the officers back to their duties. Once the room cleared and the senior staff was assembled, Verga began.

"What do you think Commander?" he first asked Commander Bannon.

Bannon leaned back in his seat and ran his hands thru his hair. The past centar had been more then a little tense for the people of the fleet and after having sat thru the telling of what had happened to the Cylons, Bannon was more then a bit confused.

"I don't know Commander, what the Imperium said, about their past and how the Centurions came into being and how they nearly wiped out his entire race, and now, they want to go back and destroy the Centurions … it's all so crazy."

"Yes it is." Verga agreed. "It is crazy! And there are a great number of things we need to talk over here before we meet with the Imperium, and some hard decisions to be made. Decisions we here will be making." he said looking at the assembled officers. "Decisions that will change not only our future, but the future of the Cylons, the future of the Centurions, quite possibly the future of the entire galaxy!"

Verga looked around the room at his officers and could see that they understood exactly what he was referring to. He continued.

"This is why I wanted to bring you all together, to discuss what course of action we should take. The decisions we make here today will most likely seal the fate of at least one, possibly all three of our species, Human, Cylon and Centurion, so when I ask for your opinions on this, I want you to be absolutely sure you have given this matter some very serious thought."

He paused for a moment to let them all think on this, then he went on.

"Commander Raylac, what is your opinion on the Imperium's request? Do you think we should give them solinite missiles and power boosters for their laser cannons to help them in their quest to destroy the Centurions?"

Raylac had been sitting quietly at the table, listening to the story the Imperium told. His head was still spinning at the fact that there were still real, living Cylons and he had just spent the past fifty centons listening to one tell of the downfall of their race. To say he was feeling a little overwhelmed would be an understatement. He looked up at Commander Verga finally and said: "I think Commander, that if they are dead set on doing this and we intend on helping them, then we should be willing to go all the way!"

This statement made all those present sit forward in their seats.

"What do you mean by that Commander?" Verga asked.

Raylac looked around at the face's of the other's in the room before he answered, wondering how they would respond to his answer.

"I think that if the Cylons are going to go back and fight the "Centurions" as they call them, then we need to give them all the help we can! Information is fine, but all the information in the galaxy won't help them if they have to use those old, outdated weapons! They need to have the best weapons available and those are the solinite missiles and five hundred giga-ergon laser cannons we have. If we refuse to give them these weapons, we'll be sending them to their deaths."

The other officers in the room sat very quietly as Raylac looked around at their faces, trying to read their thoughts. He wasn't sure if he had said something wrong or not, but he did say what was on his mind and that was what Commander Verga said he wanted. After a pause that seemed to last forever, Colonel Leon spoke.

"Commander Verga, I have to agree with Commander Raylac. We can't let the Cylons face the Centurions with those antiquated weapons, they wouldn't stand a chance. I believe we should give them some of our missiles, after all, we have several freighters loaded with over twenty thousand extra missiles."

Verga nodded his head slowly in agreement, then he turned to Commander Bannon.

"And what do think old friend? Are you in favor of giving them weapons to fight the Centurions?"

Bannon had been staring at the tabletop with his hands teepeed in front of his face, deep in thought. Without raising his gaze from the table, he responded.

"I think that even if we did share our weapons technology with the Cylons and give them every scrap of information we have about the Centurions, the Cylons would still fail."

The other officers all looked at Bannon questioningly as he continued.

"We all know that having superior weaponry is no guarantee of victory. The Centurions had better weapons then we did for hundreds of yahren, but we were still able to hold our own because of our ability to think and act as individuals, to be unpredictable."

The officers all nodded in agreement.

"And any information we give the Cylons will be nearly thirty yahren out of date. Granted, it will be a lot more recent then what they may already have, but there's no telling what kinds of advancements the Centurions have made during the past thirty yahren!"

Many of the officers nodded their heads in agreement as Bannon continued.

"And I hate to say it, but, as resolute as the Cylon Imperium is, and as impressive as the size of their fleet is, I have to ask myself a question … when the battle starts, how will the Cylons react? How will they respond once they're faced with the full fury of the Centurion war machine?"

Again they all nodded in agreement.

"They've lived far from effects of war for hundreds of yahren, how will they react when they start taking casualties? Do they have any true military leadership in their fleet? How much experience have they had in battle? These are all questions I would like answered before we start handing over our top of the line weapons to what could very well be a bunch of novices!"

Verga and the others all nodded their agreement with what Bannon had just said. They really did need to find out more about the Cylons and their fleet before they committed themselves to supplying weapons to the Cylons.

"So what do you suggest we do Commander?" Verga asked.

It was then that Bannon dropped another bombshell on the senior staff.

"I suggest …" Bannon began as he looked into the faces of the others, "that we join the Cylons and help them destroy the Centurions!"

The room exploded with both protests and endorsements to Bannon's suggestion as every officer in the room began voicing their opinions on why Bannon was right or wrong and what they thought should be done.

All except Commander Verga.

Verga sat quietly in his seat, staring at Bannon, who was in turn staring back at Verga. Neither of the two men heard the chaos that was going on around them as they were locked into another of their mental conversations. Though neither said a word, they had in a matter of a few microns gone over all the details of Bannon's suggestion and had resolved to a plan of action. When he had made up his mind, Commander Verga rose from his seat and motioned for silence. The other officers quieted down quickly and looked at Verga intently.

"I've heard Commander Bannon's recommendation, and I've just heard your endorsements and protests regarding it. You all bring up some good points, many of which I, for the most part agree with." Verga began as he looked around the table at the faces of his officers. "There are many negatives in joining with the Cylons, not the least of which is the fact that we know nothing about them! I also see the wisdom of Commander Bannon's idea however. If we were to give the Cylon's some of our more advanced weapons, there is no guarantee that they would succeed in defeating the Centurions on their own. As Commander Bannon said, we really have no idea how much experience these Cylons have with warfare, they could just as easily blow themselves up with our weapons as they could the Centurions."

Verga looked around the room and could see that everyone seemed to understand his point so he continued. "As far as I can tell, the only true strength this Cylon fleet has is their overwhelming numbers and their single mindedness of commitment."

The other officers nodded their heads in agreement.

"Now, if we were to join the Cylon's and return to the Cyrannus System, give them weapons and train them to use those weapons systems properly, I believe that we could defeat the Centurions, or at the very least push them out of the colonies and retake our homeworlds!"

This brought more consenting nods from the officers.

"Now I know there will be more then a few problems with trying to integrate our fleet with theirs, especially when you consider that we would have to take on the leadership role with them. I don't know if they would accept that or not, but I think if there is even a slight chance of success, then we will have to join the Cylons and return to our home galaxy."

Everyone in the room was silent for a good long time, each person lost in his or her own thoughts on the matter. After nearly a full centon, it was Commander Raylac that was the first to speak up.

"I don't know about the rest of you…" he began, looking at the others in the room. "but I'd like nothing better then to face off with the Cylons … or Centurions … or whatever you want to call em once and for all, because personally, I'm sick and tired of running away and hiding from those two cubit tin cans!"

Raylac stood up, towering over all those in the room and continued.

"First we're hidden away at Phantom Base building a bunch of new Battlestars while Cain and the Fifth Fleet were being wiped out at Molocay, then we stayed hidden away safe and sound while the Colonies were being decimated and when the frakkin Cyl … Centurions … find us, what do we do? We run away again! I am sick and tired of running away like some kind of whipped daggit! I say we join the Cylons and fight!"

Several of the other officers echoed Raylac's sentiments as they too had become disenchanted with constantly being on the move since Phantom Base was discovered so many yahren ago, but had until now never voiced their opinions. Verga listened to them for several moments before he spoke again.

"What of the rest of you, how many think we should join the Cylons in their quest?" Verga asked.

"I think it's far too risky for us to join the Cylons." Commander Sachs said. "I mean think about it, for all we know, we're the only human beings left in the universe. If that's the case, we owe it to ourselves and our children to do whatever it takes to insure the survival of our species. I don't think joining the Cylons would be in our best interest."

"I agree with Commander Sachs!" Commander Andrea added. "We can't afford to sail off into battle with civilians onboard. Our first priority has to be to protect our people!"

Commander Verga nodded his head solemnly as he listened, then he turned to Colonel Leon and asked for his opinion. Leon looked around the table for a moment, his gaze lingering on Sachs and Andrea.

"With all due respect to Commander Sachs and Commander Andrea, it is my opinion that it would be nothing less then an act of sheer cowardice to leave the Cylons to fend for themselves against the Centurions!"

Sachs and Andrea immediately came out of their seats and began to protest Leon's accusation but were instantly halted by Commander Verga. Once both senior officers were reseated, Verga indicated to Colonel Leon to continue.

"We all heard the Cylon Imperium's report as to their weapons status and we know that they wouldn't stand a chance in Hades of beating the Centurions with those antiquated weapons." He said looking around at the faces of the other officers. "And I think we are all in agreement that we can't just give the Cylons weapons because we have no idea if they would be able to use them properly. So the two choices we're left with are that we run away with our tails between our legs like a bunch of scared daggets or, we join with the Cylons and crush the Centurions like empty drink containers!"

"And what about the civilians onboard our ships?" Sachs asked sarcastically. "Do you expect us to drag them along with us into battle?"

"As far as I'm concerned Commander, there's no such thing a "civilian" anymore! Not since the fall of the Colonies and the destruction of Phantom Base! Since the day we left Phantom Base, every man, woman and child on these ships has had to become a "Warrior". But, if you or anyone else here is worried about the "civilians" as you call them amongst our people, then I'd say you should feel free to take them to a safe place and stay there with them and leave the fighting to the _real Warriors_!"

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Commander Sachs began before once again being halted by Commander Verga, who turned to Colonel Leon and said, "Colonel, I understand your feelings on this matter, but you _will_ show proper respect to your fellow officers, especially those of senior grade. Do you understand me Colonel?"

Leon nodded his head curtly and said, "Yes sir!" He cast a hard glare at Commander Sachs, then at Commander Verga's behest, he continued.

"With our present weapons and the advancements Doctor Haley has made with his "micro-wavelon" generators, we should be able to disable any Centurion vessel we encounter well before we're in their weapons range and then destroy it with ease."

"What's the range on Doctor Haley's micro-wavelon generators?" Commander Bannon asked.

"He says he's had successful tests on his test Centurions out to a range of half a million metrons."

"Half a million metrons!" Bannon exclaimed. "That's ten times the Centurions weapons range, at that range they wouldn't even get a shot off."

"Exactly!"

"What sort of effect do these micro-wavelons have on the Centurions Colonel? How do they work?" Verga asked.

"The micro-wavelons cause disruptions in the neuro-electric functions of the Centurion's systems, it's not too dissimilar to a seizure in a human being. It renders them incapable of any type of normal, voluntary function, thus, they become totally incapacitated … easy pickings!"

This brought a chuckle from all the officers in the room, including Commander Sachs.

"How long does this effect last Colonel?" Verga asked.

"As long as the Centurions are in range sir, and we can maintain the micro-wavelons indefinitely. They use very little energy, even at full power."

Verga sat quietly in his seat, lost in thought over what he had just heard. After several microns, he spoke.

"Commander Sachs, you brought up several very good points as to why we should not join the Cylons. Like you, I believe we do have a responsibility to our people to try and preserve our species and that taking our entire population into battle is not the best idea in the galaxy, but our only alternative is, as Colonel Leon so eloquently suggested," Verga said with a smile at Colonel Leon, who smiled slightly. "is to transfer all of our non-combatants to one of the Battlestars and send it off to a safe zone. This I find difficult to do since I believe we would need every ship in the fleet to defeat the Centurions. By joining the Cylons and augmenting their weapons systems with ours, we stand a good chance of beating the Centurions and winning back the Colonies."

"So we're going to join the Cylons?" Sachs asked solemnly, already knowing the answer.

"Yes Commander, I think that even thou there is a great deal of risk involved, it is still in the best interest of our people to join the Cylons." Verga told her. Then to the others he said, "Commander Bannon, Colonel Leon, you two will accompany me over to the Cylon Imperium's ship. Commander Raylac, you will be in command of the fleet until I return. I want you to begin making preparations for the installation of our weapons systems into the Cylon fleets vessels. I know we can't outfit every ship in their fleet with the updated systems, but we can do as many as possible now and then begin building more components for the rest on the way back to the Cyrannus System. Commander Sachs, I want you to make a list of all the non-combatants in the fleet, anyone you feel should not be involved in the upcoming battle. If there's time before we engage the Centurions, we'll try and move them to the auxiliary vessels and send them off to a safer location, just in case you're right and we do fail, at least they might have a chance to get away. Commander Andrea, you will organize a training program for the Cylons in the proper operation of the weapons systems we will be giving them. I want them to become as proficient in those systems as our own people. Commander Goff, you will organize a schedule of war games for our fleet and begin conducting them in earnest … but do so well away from the Cylons. We don't want them to get the wrong idea."

This brought a few chuckles from everyone.

"The rest of you are to start making your ships as battle ready as possible. Begin scheduling battle drills for your crews and when Commander Goff gets the schedule together, begin working on your fleet maneuvers. Lords know we're rusty enough. Any questions?"

No questions were forthcoming so Verga dismissed his officers with the exception of Bannon, Raylac and Leon.

"Raylac, I want you to hold the fleet at "Alert One" status. I don't expect any problems from the Cylons, but I think it's only wise to be ready."

"Yes sir!" Raylac replied and left to return to his ship.

"You two go get something to eat real quick and put on your dress uniforms. We'll all meet in Alpha landing bay in fifty centons, don't be late!"

Bannon and Leon both nodded and left to change uniforms and grab a bite to eat. Exactly fifty centons later in Alpha landing bay, the three Warriors waited for the Cylon shuttle that the Imperium had sent for them to land. They could see the Cylon shuttle as it made its final approach and they were rather surprised by the crafts sleek design. It was nothing like the clumsy looking "flying box" the Colonies used and that they themselves carried aboard the ships of the fleet. It was nearly a work of art.

The small craft sailed smoothly over the threshold of the landing bay and continued on until it was only a dozen metrons from Commander Verga and his group, where it set down with but the faintest of thuds. The three Warriors were impressed by the skill demonstrated by the pilot.

The engines were still winding down when the hatch of the Cylon shuttle opened and a short, stocky Cylon in what appeared to be a uniform exited the shuttle and approached Commander Verga and his officers. He stopped a few steps from the Warriors and looked them up and down.

"Are you the Commander?" he asked thru the translator device.

"Yes, I'm Commander Verga. This is Commander Bannon and Colonel Leon." Verga replied.

The pilot looked from Verga to the other two and then said, "I have been sent by the Imperium to bring you to our ship. Follow me."

And without waiting to see if they had understood, the pilot turned and reentered the shuttle. The three Warriors exchanged amused looks and followed the pilot aboard the shuttle.

The Cylon shuttle was not as large as the Colonial version with its low profile and sleek design, but was very functional. It was made of a strange metal that gave it a dark, iridescent glow with shades of black, violet and blue. It also was armed with what appeared to be half a dozen laser cannons giving this transport the look of a fighter rather then a simple shuttle.

The three humans entered the transport and found the overhead to be quite low, forcing them to walk slightly hunched over. In the main compartment they found several rows of seats, all on the smallish side but not so much as to be too uncomfortable. As they each took their seats and strapped themselves in Verga watched with interest as the pilot made ready for takeoff. He listened to the cross talk between the flight controller on the bridge of the Genesis and the pilot hoping to pick up more of the Cylon language. He had listened to the conversation they had earlier with the Cylon Imperium and believed he was starting to get a grasp on the basics of the Cylon language. The pilot turned in his seat and said, "Stand by for departure."

Less then five centons had past from the time the Cylon transport landed in the Genesis's landing bay to the time they were off the deck and exiting the landing bay, headed for the Cylon Flagship. The humans were amazed at the speed of the transport as it soared thru space toward the Cylon fleet, it seemed they were flying at nearly the same speed as one of their Vipers, only in a shuttle! They were quite impressed.

Verga listened to the pilot as he called in to his flight control for landing instructions and was surprised that he was able to understand the majority of the conversation between the Cylons. This he thought could come in handy if things began to go sour.

Bannon was busy looking out the front veiwport as they approached the Cylon fleet. He marveled at the number of vessels he saw and the design of them. Every ship he saw seemed to be made of the same iridescent material which caused them to effectively blend into the backdrop of space and the variety of shapes and sizes of the vessels was fascinating! Every ship he saw was heavily laden with what appeared to be laser cannons and missile launching tubes. Had he not known how imputant the Cylon firepower truly was, he would be quite leery of these vessels.

Leon spent his time during the flight to the Cylon flagship studying the various pieces of equipment, the panels and the displays in the passenger cabin, trying to figure out what each one did and how he could use them aboard their ships or redesign them to better do their job.

The flight from the Genesis to the Cylon flagship took less then ten centons to complete and when the officers of the Phantom Fleet saw the Cylon flagship, they were awe struck. It looked to be well over forty kilometrons long and five kilometrons at its widest juncture and had to have hundreds upon hundreds of decks as it was as tall top to bottom as the Genesis was long! As the transport moved in closer, details that could not be seen before came into view, things like the thousands of laser turrets that seemed to cover every square micrometron of the massive vessel or the hundreds of missile launch tubes that were aligned in dozens of banks all along the hull. There were also dozens of landing bays along both the top and the bottom of the flagship.

"This is going to be one Hades of a warship once we put our weapons systems in her!" Bannon whispered to Verga as they both stared out at the Cylon flagship.

"Having second thoughts my friend?" Verga asked.

"No, not at all." Bannon responded. "I just would hate to be the one the Cylons were pointing this thing at. Even with the under powered lasers and antiquated missiles, this thing could do some real damage.

"Indeed it could!" Verga said.

"We will be landing in one centon. Be sure you are secure in your seats!" the pilots said thru the translator. The three humans checked their restraints to insure they were tight. They stared out the viewport as the pilot maneuvered the transport thru a jumble of other small craft till it was lined up with one of the dorsal landing bays. The pilot's approach was as smooth as any made by the pilots of the Phantom fleet and the landing was so soft, one hardly felt the transport touch down on the deck.

The pilot had already shut down the transports engines and was heading for the hatch before Verga, Bannon and Leon had managed to release their restraints and stand up. The pilot called back to the three humans to follow him and he exited without waiting for a response. Verga and the others just smiled and headed for the exit. When they exited the craft, they found themselves in a cavernous landing bay that was as full of activity as a Battlestars during a combat launch. Everywhere one looked, Cylon workers were busily going about their tasks, stopping only when they noticed the strange newcomers exiting the transport. Within a matter of a few microns, the once noisy bay had gone as silent as the vacuum of space as every Cylon eye was locked onto the three humans. This was quickly commented on by Colonel Leon.

"I guess they've never seen a human before?"

"Probably not!" Bannon answered.

"Well I'll tell ya this, the way their looking at us, I'm not sure if their just extremely curious about us or their sizing us up for their next meal!"

Bannon and Leon both laughed a little at this. The Cylon pilot, who had been walking next to Commander Verga heard their comments and turned to look back at the two officers. Then he looked away and said, "Both!"

This caused both of the officers to immediately cease their laughter and begin looking at the Cylon workers more cautiously. The pilot turned to Verga, who was looking down at their escort, and winked. Verga looked straight ahead and smiled broadly as the group walk to the turbolift.

The pilot led them from the turbolift to a small platform where they all entered a small, spherically shaped conveyance and were transported at an extremely high rate of speed to another small platform. The trip took only a few centons but must have covered five or six kilometrons. They then walked a short distance down a rather plain and unadorned passageway to a rather large pair of doors. The pilot pressed a button next to the door and a voice was heard from the speaker under the button. The pilot responded and a micron later, the doors slide open. The pilot turned to Verga and said, "You and your people may enter!"

Verga looked into the dark, smoke filled room and then back to their escort.

"Aren't you coming with us?" he asked.

The pilot glanced into the room then shook his head.

"I am not allowed to enter the Great Hall." he said as he cast his eyes at the deck.

Verga and the others exchanged confused glances and Verga said, "In that case, we thank you for your assistance."

The pilot tilted his head to one side as if not understanding, then he gave what looked to Verga to be a smile and walked off. The three humans watched their escort walk away for a moment then they entered the Great Hall.

They traversed a short passageway that led into a massive chamber. The room was filled with smoke from the many torches along the walls and a huge fire pit in a center of the room. These were only light sources in the chamber that Verga could see. The temperature and humidity in the room were much higher then Verga and his men were use to but would be tolerable for a short period. As the three humans entered the main room and their eyes began to adjust, they could see that the room was full of Cylons, all sitting around the fire pit, listening to the Imperium, who was seated nearest the fire pit on a large dais. When the three humans came into view of the room's occupants, all conversation stopped and every eye became riveted on them.

Leon turned to Bannon and whispered, "I feel like the last mushie on a plate in a room full of six yahren olds!"

Bannon nodded silently as Commander Verga stepped closer to the Imperium and to everyone's surprise, he greeted the Imperium in his own language!

The room came to life with the sounds of rapid conversation as the Cylons marveled at the human that spoke their language. The Imperium silenced the room and then turned to Verga and said, "We are impressed Commander! How did you learn our language so quickly?"

"I've always had a knack for languages Imperium, so I simply played back our first meeting a few times and was able to learn the basics of your language."

The Imperium nodded his head, saying, "Interesting!"

Verga looked around the room a moment before he went on.

"I think it's important that we try to understand each other better if we are to become allies in the war against the Centurions."

Again the room was abuzz with the sounds of conversations. Even the Imperium was talking excitedly to one of his people seated near by. Verga strained to hear what was being said, but could only catch bits and pieces as the Cylons were talking over one another. Finally, the Imperium silenced the room and spoke to Commander Verga.

"Does this mean you will share your weapons with us Commander?"

"It means Imperium, that we will not only share our weapons technology with you, but we will train your people how to install it, how to operate it, how to use it to its maximum effect and how to build more of it."

This news brought about another round of loud conversation amongst the Cylons of which Verga was able to discern that most of it was positive. The Imperium stared at Verga for a moment before silencing the room.

"That is indeed good news Commander. I swear to you that we will put it to good use."

The Imperium paused for a micron then asked, "Is there more Commander?"

"Indeed there is Imperium." Verga started, looking at the other Cylons in the room. "We have determined that the best way to increase the odds of victory over the Centurions is to join you in your quest to destroy the Centurions!"

There was a prolonged silence in the room as the Cylons waited for, then repeated the translation of what Verga had just said to come thru the translators. Then the room erupted in loud conversation, much of which Verga could tell was not positive. Bannon and Leon both looked around the room apprehensively as the Cylons became much louder and agitated.

After several microns the Imperium rose from his seat and tried to silence the room, but was not immediately successful, so in a surprisingly quick move, The Imperium pulled a laser pistol from his robe and fired several blasts into the air. This had the desired effect as all conversations ceased immediately. The Imperium looked around the room with what Verga interpreted as a threatening look as every Cylon in the room averted their eyes from the Imperium when he looked their way. With things back under control, the Imperium returned the laser pistol to its place in his robe and spoke to Verga.

"You wish to join us Commander? Why?"

"Because Imperium, we have as much reason to want the Centurions destroyed as you do." Verga said to the Imperium, then to all the Cylons he said, "And alone, neither of our forces can defeat the Centurions. Your weapons are inadequate for the task and my fleet has too few ships, but together, we can achieve victory. You have the raw numbers of ships and personnel and we have the technology. By combining our forces, we can destroy the Centurions and reclaim our homeworlds, humans and Cylons!"

This brought about some low conversations of which Verga was certain were of a positive nature. Perhaps the Cylons would accept an alliance with them.

"My people have fought the Centurions for over a thousand yahren and we know what it will take to defeat them. With your help, we can do just that, but it will take great sacrifices on all our parts to achieve victory. Sacrifices that some may not want to make!"

"Whatever sacrifices are needed Commander, we will make." the Imperium said.

"Even if that means my people taking command?" Verga asked.

The pause between Verga's question and the translation seemed to be centars long, causing Verga to truly worry about an alliance with the Cylons for the first time. Then, after an extended length of time, the Imperium spoke.

"I have disconnected the translators to the others Commander. I think that had they understood your statement, they might have become violent."

Verga exchanged looks with Bannon and Leon, then turned back to the Imperium.

"I take it that you and your people would not accept my people's leadership in this war?"

"They will do as I tell them Commander, but as you have already seen, my people are somewhat … reactionary! Had they heard the translation of what you said, they might have tried to do you and your people harm."

"I see!" Verga said nodding his head slowly.

"My people have not dealt with many other species before and have never taken orders from any but me. I agree with you Commander in that you should command our forces against the Centurions, but my people will find it most difficult to accept orders from anyone other then myself or my officers."

"So what should we do Imperium?" Verga asked.

"For now, you and your people will return to your fleet. I will speak with my people and explain to them what is going to happen. Once I have had time to explain what we are doing, they will follow your commands as thou they are coming from me."

The three humans exchanged unconvinced looks. The Imperium must have sensed this because he said, "Trust me Commander, they will follow your orders or they will die!"

Again the three exchanged looks but said nothing.

"There is a pilot waiting outside to return you to your vessel. You will hear from me shortly Commander." the Imperium said as he stood again and bowed.

The three humans followed suit and then departed.

In the passageway, they found their pilot. It was the same one that had brought them to the Cylon flagship, at least they were fairly sure it was. He led them thru the giant ship back to the landing bay and aboard the transport without uttering a word. The three officers took their seats and remained silent during the entire voyage back to the Genesis. Once the transport had landed and the hatch opened, Bannon and Leon left the ship straight away while Verga moved to the cockpit and asked the pilot why he was so quite. After several microns, the pilot turned and said, "My superiors were displeased with me."

"Why?" Verga asked, concern evident in his voice.

"They said I should not have spoken to you, that I am not worthy of speaking to you." the pilot said, his eyes downcast.

Verga was taken aback by this. He could not believe a race as advanced as the Cylons could treat one of their own in such a manner.

"Then we'll keep our little chats between the two of us, okay!"

The pilot raised his eyes and this time Verga was sure the pilot smiled.

With that, Verga turned and left the transport.

Several centars passed before the Cylon Imperium made contact with Commander Verga, who had spent the time listening to and repeating back the recording of the two meetings with the Cylons. He had, in just those few conversations, picked up and become rather adapt in the use of the Cylon language. Now he thought, he would have the opportunity to use it.

"Greetings Imperium!" Verga started out in his best Cylon. "What news have you for us?"

The Imperium's voice came thru the speakers in the Genesis's War Room, only this time they did not hear the now familiar electronic translator but the true voice of the Imperium.

"Your Cylon has improved Commander! I'm impressed!"

"It is a fascinating language Imperium. I hope to learn more of it in the future."

"Indeed!"

"So have you come to a decision?" Verga asked.

"Yes Commander, I have." the Imperium said. "I have given orders to all those of my fleet that we will be joined by your people in our quest to destroy the Centurions and that you Commander will have overall command of the fleet!"

Verga nodded his head slowly, understanding what the Imperium was saying.

"How did your people take the news about taking orders from humans?" Verga ventured.

"They were not very enthusiastic about the prospect Commander, but after I explained the alternative, they were more then receptive." the Imperium replied. "So Commander, what do we do now?"

"Now Imperium, we start preparing to end the reign of the Centurions!"


	22. Friends or Foes

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter 22**

**Friends or Foes**

Sergeant Duggan was bored.

He was in the sixth centar of his ten centar shift in the small, claustrophobic listening post where he had been assigned ever since he had joined the Colonial Warriors some seven yarhen before. He had joined the military because he wanted to do what he could to fight the Cylons and win back his home world.

A world that he had never seen the surface of!

Like all those assigned to the listening post as part of the communications unit, he spent the majority of his time monitoring the communications of the Cylons, listening for anything that might be important to the continued survival of their people. So far, he had heard nothing of any significance.

Duggan was one of an ever growing number of humans that had spent their entire lives living underground in the super secret military complex known as "The Dreamworks". Before the destruction of the Colonies, it had been the Colonies ultimate weapons development lab, known to only those few in the government and military that had the need to know. It was a multi-level complex buried nearly four kilometrons below the streets of Caprica city and was designed not only to house the secret weapons labs, but was also meant to be used as a operations bunker and shelter for the President and the Council of the Twelve in the event of a direct Cylon attack on the Colonies. Unfortunatley for them, the President and the council were with the Colonial fleet when it was destroyed at Cimtar some thirty yahren ago.

Duggan's story was somewhat unique as it started before he was even born. His mother was in the ninth sectar of her pregnancy when the Cylons attacked. She was celebrating the "peace conference" along with nearly every other inhabitant of Caprica when life as they knew it ended. The Cylons rained death and destruction down upon the children of Kobol without remorse or mercy. The death toll was already in the billions when the Cylon Centurions began landing and started the final assault on the human race.

Duggan's mother, Ariel, was captured by a Cylon patrol and was taken to a holding area near the Presidium. She didn't know why she had not been executed like so many others she had seen, but was thankful that she hadn't. She knew that as long as she was alive, there was a chance she and her unborn child would survive. She believed this until she and a large group of prisoners were told that they were being taken to the Caprica City Aerodrome where they would be loaded onto transports and taken to the Cylon homeworld where rumor had it they would be used for experimentation and public execution. And so, Ariel was forced to walk the three kilometrons to the aerodrome and certain death.

Or so it would seem.

The prisoners walked thru a section of the city that had been a hub of activity only days before but was now a ruble strewn scene of wholesale destruction. Everywhere one looked, you would see the burned and broken remains of buildings and hovermobiles ….. and of people! It was a site that Ariel had wished she could shut out of her mind, but knew it would haunt her the rest of her days, however many of those she had left.

As they rounded a corner, she noticed that the Warriors that were among the prisoners had begun to move toward the outer edges of the group and close to the Centurions that were taking them to the aerodrome. She wasn't sure what they were planning to do, but she wanted to be ready to make a run for it when they made their move. She edged to one side of the group, behind one of the Centurion guards and waited.

She didn't have to wait long, for just as she got into position, all Hades broke loose! A man near the front of their group took off running toward a nearby side street in an attempt to escape. The Centurion guard closest to the young man raised its laser rifle and fired once before being hit by a laser blast in the chest, sending sparks flying and the centurion tumbling to the ground. Microns later, a crossfire of laser fire began cutting down the Cylon guards. Several of the Cylons were able to return fire and even began taking shots at the prisoners as they began to run from the carnage, but these were quickly taken care of by the Warriors in the group that had retrieved the weapons of the fallen Cylons. The firefight lasted only a few microns, but the devastation was tremendous. In all, a dozen civilians lay dead and at least that many more wounded as a result of the firefight that had just occurred. Arial had been lucky to find a place to hide when the shooting started and was not harmed at all. Within a few centons, the Warrior in charge of the rescue had them all on their feet and moving along toward what turned out to be "The Dreamworks"

They had only been there a few centars when Arial went into labor and shortly thereafter, Duggan was born, the first child born in the subterranean world of the Dreamworks. Thus, Duggan had never seen the surface of his homeworld. Never felt the warmth of the sun on his face or the wind blowing thru his hair. All he had known from the day of his birth was the cold, dank halls of the Dreamworks.

And so he sat, listening to the endless stream of Cylon messages being sent to and from their command center that the Cylons had set up in the Presidium. Most of what he heard was the everyday reports sent to the Cylon homeworld regarding ship arrivals and departures, troop basing levels, supply requests and a hundred other reports that the Cylons sent out every day, day after day, for the past seven yahren that he knew of. Granted, once in awhile there would be the stray report coming thru of some sort of military action or perhaps a Cylon patrol finding recent evidence of humans, but mostly it was only the daily housekeeping reports that were heard. What Duggan would give for just a little distraction!

"Hey Duggan! how's it goin?" a voice called out from the doorway behind him. He wheeled around in his seat to find his friend, Corporeal Yother standing there. Yother had joined the Colonial service a yahren after he had and was assigned to the life center as a med tech. He was a few yahren younger then Duggan and was known to be, for lack of a better term … a chatterbox!

"Hey Yother, what brings you to the "Pit"? Duggan asked. The "Pit" was the derogatory term people used for the listening post since it was set off by itself, far from the more active areas of the base and was not much more then a room full of electronics specifically designed to intercept and decode Cylon transmissions.

"I was just passing by and thought I'd drop in and see if you were still awake down here." Yother said. "Anything exciting going on with our mechanized friends upstairs?"

"No, nothing but the usual felgercarb" Duggan replied. "I swear the Cylons could kill more people with their lack of personality then with their laser weapons."

"I bet! Hey listen, what are you doing next secton? I have four ducats' to the triad semifinals and you and I are going along with those two extremely hot and tasty little girls from the mess hall. You remember them don't you?"

"Yes, I remember them." Duggan said, rolling his eyes at the descriptive terminology used by Yother. "I think I have that night off. We should …."

Duggan trailed off as something in his headset caught his attention.

"That's great Duggie!" Yother said, oblivious to what Duggan was doing. "Here's what we'll do! First we'll …."

"Hey, hold it down!" Duggan said as he tried to listen to whatever it was that he heard.

" … go down to the main mess hall and get some of their prime eats. Then we'll grab some ambrosia and …"

"Hey Yother, shut up man!" Duggan said loudly as he began flipping switches and twisting dials on the large panel in front of him. Yother finally notice what Duggan was doing and wondered closer to see what was happening.

"What's going on Duggie?" he asked.

"Duggan didn't respond as he was too engrossed with what he was doing to answer.

"Hey Duggie, whats going on man?" Yother asked again.

Duggan didn't respond or turn around to look at his friend; he just continued to make adjustments to his equipment for several was about to ask what was going on again when Dugan looked at his friend with what could only be an expression of fear.

"Go find the Commander." he said with a shaky voice as he turned back to his equipment.

"What?" Yother asked, somewhat confused by his friends sudden change. "Why do you want the Commander? What's going on Duggie?"

Duggan wheeled around in his seat and yelled at his befuddled friend, "Yother, shut the frak up and go get the frakkin Commander!"

Yother jumped back several steps, shocked at his friend's sudden outburst. Then he nodded his head and left to find the Commander.

It took Yother several centons to locate Commander Saxton, who was getting ready to attend a staff dinner with President Illya and several more to convince him to come to the "Pit". Finally the two of them arrived along with Colonel Nader and Command Sergeant Kelso, who had refused the offered commissioned rank of Major stating that he would rather be busted down to a "snitrad cadet" then be an officer.

"Hey Duggie, I brought the Commander like you asked!" Yother said.

Duggan didn't immediately acknowledge the arrival of Yother and the senior officers, still intently listening to the signals he had picked up some ten centons ago. After what seemed a full centon, Duggan pulled off his headset.

"Frak, I lost it." He said as he turned to see who was in the room with him. He nearly jumped thru the overhead when he saw the Commander and Colonel standing there, looks of both impatience and humor on their faces.

"Sorry Commander, I didn't know you were there." Duggan apologized.

"Don't worry about it Sergeant, just tell us what it is you found that was so important that this young man insisted that I come here instead of going to my meeting with the President."

Duggan cast a glance at his friend, who shrugged his shoulders and said, "Dude, you said to get him down here so …."

Duggan looked back to the Commander and said, "Well sir, you see, I was here, and ah …."

"Look Sergeant, just relax and tell me what it is you heard." Saxton said, trying to keep calm as the young Warrior tried to pull his thoughts together.

"Alright, I was listening to the Cylon transmissions and it was the same old general felgercarb as always when I heard what sounded like a distress call from a Cylon Baseship!"

Saxton and Nader exchanged startled looks.

"Are you sure it was a distress signal Sergeant?" Saxton asked.

"I didn't know for sure sir." Duggan replied. "I've never heard one before, but I ran the signal thru the computer and it identified it as a "Class Alpha Cylon distress signal."

"A Class Alpha signal?" Nader whispered to Saxton. "The Cylons only send those out in the event of eminent destruction!"

Saxton nodded his head slowly as he thought about this, then he asked, "You said you ran this signal thru the computer, did you record the signal as well?"

"Yes sir!" Duggan responded. "I got all but the first few microns. The signal was extremely weak and I had to put a power booster on it to make it readable."

Duggan turned back to his console and began flipping switches and turning knobs. Saxton couldn't believe how primitive the equipment was that this young man was working with. Some of the components he was sure were over a millennium old. Finally Duggan flipped a switch and thru some heavy static, a voice could be heard.

The electronic voice of a Cylon.

"Baseship two five five under attack … kasis system. Basesh ….. four five and two three five destroyed. Enemy vessels unknown. This ship will not survi …."

The recording ended.

Saxton stood silently for several moments, trying to assimilate what he had just heard. After a few microns, he turned to Colonel Nader.

"Call the senior staff together. I want to have a briefing on this in fifty centons in the command center. Also inform the president of what we just heard and tell her we'll have to skip dinner tonight."

"Right!" Nader said as he left the small room. Saxton turned to Duggan and asked, "Can you make me a copy of that recording and all the computer analysis you did?"

"Yes sir, I've already burned off a copy for you." Duggan said and handed him two small infodisks. "I figured you'd want copies"

Saxton nodded his approval and took the disks. "Good work Sergeant. I'll be sure to mention your good work to Major Leia. Carry on!" Then he turned and departed with Sergeant Kelso almost running to keep up.

"Hey Duggie, what in Hades is a "Class Alpha Distress Signal"?" Yother asked after the Warrior officers left. "What the frak is going on?"

Duggan didn't answer. He sat down in his chair and stared off into space for several moments. Then he turned to Yother and said, "That signal means someone or something just attacked three Cylon Baseships and destroyed them!"

Yother stared at his friend for a moment, letting these words sink in, then he smiled a nervous little smile and said, "That's a good thing, right? I mean if something is out there blowing the poogies out of the Cylons, that's a good thing ….. isn't it?"

Duggan looked at his friend for a moment, and then said, "I don't know Yother. It's good that whatever it is is attacking the Cylons, but imagine what kind of firepower it takes to destroy a Baseship! Whatever is out there just took out three of them!"

Yother nodded his head slowly.

"Well, I'm just glad whoever they are, their on our side!" Yother said.

Duggan looked at Yother and said, "How can you be sure their on "our" side?"

"They attacked the Cylon's didn't they?"

"Yeah, they did, but that doesn't mean they won't do the same to us." Duggan said. "Whoever these people are that attacked the Cylons, they could very well come here and do the same to us! They might turn out to be far worst then the Cylons ever were!"

Later in the Command Center, the senior staff met with President Illya and her staff to discuss the ramifications of the signal Duggan had recorded. They listened to it several times, trying to pick out anything that might have been missed before, but found no new clue to who it was that attacked and destroyed three Cylon Baseships.

"At this time, we have no new details or any further signals from the sector where the Cylon Baseships were located." Nader reported. "Whoever or whatever attacked the Cylons, made good its escape."

"What kind of response have we seen from the Cylons so far?" Saxton asked.

"So far, we've noticed an increase in Baseship readiness in this sector." reported Major Keitha. "We've detected thirty six Baseships in route to the Narkasis system and reports of over fifty more being diverted into that area. Whoever these folks are, they sure got the Cylons attention."

"Commander, what does this attack do to us? I mean, how will it affect us here in the "Dreamworks"?" Counselor Bawel asked.

"At this time, we don't know. We don't know who attacked the Cylons or why. All we do know at this time is that whoever they are, they are extremely powerful and as odd as it may sound, they put a scare into the Cylons." Saxton stated. "Until we learn more, we need to be extra careful about our security. So, from here on, we do everything we can to minimize the chances of tipping off the Cylons or these new comers to our presence here. We have to be sure that all noise is kept to a minimum and that only those patrols that are absolutely necessary are made."

"Noise? What noise are you talking about Commander?" Doctor Prior asked. Prior had at the time of the holocaust been left in charge of the "Dreamworks" facility, but had been relieved of all military duties and given full charge of the labs and work shops on the lower levels of the "Dreamworks" Over the yahren, he had become a valued member of the President's and Commanders staffs.

"Well for starters, the noises coming from your workshops Doctor." Saxton said. "Until further notice, I'm going to have to ask you to secure your operations down there until we learn more about this situation."

"Is that really necessary Commander? We are after all over five kilometrons below the surface down there. Certainly they can't detect use that far down!" Prior said.

"I'm pretty sure the Cylons can't detect us down here. We've done a number of studies to prove that already. But these newcomers, we have no idea what their capabilities are or what their response to us will be. I think that, until we have more information about them, we need to err on the side of caution."

"I understand that Commander, but we're not even sure that these "Newcomers" are coming this way! Perhaps their encounter with the Cylons was just a chance happening! A simple miscommunication. Perhaps they've already moved on and are long gone?"

"That's very possible doctor, but until we know more, you'll have to secure your operations." Saxton said with an air of finality.

Prior knew it would do no good to argue the point further, having butted heads on numerous occasions with the Commander before. So he simple nodded his head and said, "I'll have my people begin shutting down everything immediately Commander. We have a few experiments running that are nearing completion however, would you consent to let them run their course before we shut them down?"

"How long do you need doctor?"

"Two days, three tops!" Prior said. "It will take us that long to failsafe most of the other programs anyway."

"Alright doctor, save those projects for last. Let them run their course, but be advised, if we detect any kind of searching near the surface, you'll have to shut them down immediately!"

"Will do Commander!" Prior said with a slight smile, "and thanks."

Saxton nodded to the scientist, thankful that he didn't want to argue about this decision. Then he looked around the room.

"Any more questions or comments?" he asked.

"What do we do if these "newcomers" attack Caprica and find us here?" Asked Cantor, who like Prior, had been a major pain in the ass, but over time had become an important member of the President's staff.

"Well, I hope it doesn't come to that. But, if it does, the President and I have formulated a plan that will hopefully give some of our people a chance to live. Half the people will head out through the escape tunnels to the surface while the other half board the Battle Cruiser that Doctor Prior and his people have been working on for the past twenty yahren. They'll make a break for it while I and the rest of our Warriors hold off the attackers and engage any fighters that try to stop the Battle Cruiser. With any luck, one or both groups will escape and find a safe place to start over."

"Not much of a choice, is it Commander?" Cantor said with just the slightest bit of sarcasm.

"No, it's not! But if you have a better plan, I'm all ears!" Saxton said flatly, leveling a cold, hard stare at Cantor. Cantor knew he should say no more and simply shook his head.

"Anything else?" Saxton asked. No more questions were forthcoming so he called the meeting adjourned and began speaking to the President.

"You were a bit more generous with Cantor then usual this time Commander!" Illya said with a grin.

"I must be getting soft in my old age!" he quipped. "Besides, he's right, it's not exactly a stroke of brilliance what we have planned."

"No, but it does give our people more then one chance of survival if we are found." Illya said softly. "And at this point, that's more then can reasonably be expected."

Saxton nodded.

"So, what do you think of these "newcomers"? Do you think they're here to begin a war with the Cylons or was this just a chance meeting?"

"I don't know Madame President; I only know that whoever they are, their a lot more powerful then we are!" Saxton said. "And anyone that powerful needs to be watched very closely. I only hope that whoever they are, they don't turn out to be worse then the Cylons!"


	23. The New Threat

Battlestar Galactica

Past, Present, Future

Chapter 23

The New Threat

The large glass doors slide open with a slight "whoosh" and a trio of figures entered the dimly lit room. Two of the figures were indistinguishable from each other as they were made exactly the same, as were all Cylon Centurions. Large and rather slow moving with an outer armor of polished chromium, their red "eyes" endlessly scanning from side to side, they moved in perfect, machine unison. Both carried standard Cylon laser rifles at port arms with laser pistols and double edged chromium bladed swords hanging from belts worn at their waists. Throughout the quadrant, these were the very image of death and destruction to all organic beings.

The figure that "walked" before them looked nothing like its Centurion escorts. It was not as tall or as bulky as the cyclopean Centurions. Not much could be seen of this individual as most of it was hidden beneath a "robe" of dark material. It's "head" was most unusual as it was shaped like a rain drop and was made of a clear polymer that made it possible to see the inner workings of its electronic "brains". Unlike its Centurion escorts, it had two scanners that served as its "eyes" instead of one and a small bank of lights that would light up when it "spoke". This was an "IL – Series" Cylon, one of the more advanced models of the Cylon "species". They were constructed with two electronic "brains" and a much more advanced set of programs so as to be a better leader. They were also given names instead of numerical designations to identify themselves. This particular IL series Cylon was named "Daemon"

The trio of Cylons crossed the dark room to an area where a pool of bright light was projected from an unseen source high above. The two Centurions stopped at the edge of the circle of light while Daemon moved to the center of it and "spoke".

"By your command" came the words in perfect Colonial Standard with a touch of a Northern Caprican accent.

The words were spoken to a dark, silent figure seated on a large throne atop a tall pedestal in the center of the room. The figure didn't move. In fact, it gave no visible sign that it was even aware of Daemon's arrival. Several centons passed with neither Daemon, nor the figure on the pedestal moving or making a sound, then the seated figure silently turned in the throne so that it faced Daemon and it escorts. The figure "stared" down at the IL series Cylon for nearly a full centon before uttering a sound.

"Speak!" came the voice of the Imperious Leader of the Cylon Empire.

"We have just received a report from one of our Baseships in the "Paradeen" sector, Baseship number 407 to be exact. They reported that they were under attack by an unidentified vessel!"

"An "unidentified" vessel?" the Imperious Leader inquired.

"Yes, according to their report, a large ship of unknown origin just "appeared" out of nowhere and began launching missiles at them."

"What do you mean, "it appeared out of nowhere"?"

"That is what they reported Excellency", Daemon said. "The report said that there was nothing on their scanners one micron, and the next there was a ship of unknown origin less then five thousand kilometrons abeam of them. The unidentified vessel fired a full volley of missiles at them and then "disappeared"."

The Imperious Leader sat silently for several moments, scanning the data from the Baseships transmission thru the link it had with the Central command of the Cylon Empire. This link allowed the Imperious Leader to instantly call up data about any subject, anytime, from anywhere in the empire as it was reported. It searched through tens of thousands of pieces of data in a matter of a few microns, looking for anything that might give a clue as to who was attacking its Baseships. There had to be something there that would tell it who was doing this. After several more microns, a pattern began to form. The Imperious leader would have smiled had it had the ability to do so.

"I believe that these attacks are being carried out against our Baseships by the Galactica!" the Imperious Leader said.

Daemon tilted his head to the side, much as a human would do when confused by something and said, "The Galactica? I thought the Galactica had left galaxy."

The Imperious Leader looked down on the inferior IL series Cylon with what would have been a look of utter disgust! It thought that even a mere IL series should have been able to see the pattern of the recent attacks. In recent sectons, a number of Baseships and outposts had been attacked and destroyed by an as yet unknown force. The one piece of information that was common about the attacks was that they all fell along the same course that the Galactica had been following when the human traitor Baltar lost contact with them. The Imperious Leader thus concluded that these attacks had to be the work of the humans from the Galactica.

The Imperious Leader could not understand how this IL series did not see then pattern, but then again, the Il series Cylon did _only have two "brains" _, unlike itself, which had three "brains". The third "brain" gave the Imperious Leader far greater capacities for reasoning and thus, set it apart from all other Cylons. It also had the combined knowledge and experiences of every one of its predecessors dating back to the very first Imperious Leader to draw from, so it should not be surprising that a mere "two brain" IL did not figure it out.

"It was believed that the Galactica did leave the galaxy nearly thirty yarhen ago, making good their escape, but all indications point to these attacks being orchestrated by the humans." The Imperious Leaded said aloud, more to itself then to Daemon. "We never knew the true fate of the Galactica and its fleet of dilapidated vessels because the Commander of the task force that was sent to destroy them never completed his mission."

"You refer to the human, Baltar?" Daemon inquired.

"Yes. Baltar was tasked with destroying the Galactica and its fleet, but failed to do so, claiming that some "greater power" had prevented him from doing so!" the Imperious Leader said as it called up the information about Baltar's failure. Had the Imperious Leader had emotions, he would have been angered at the time and resources Baltar had squandered in his fruitless pursuit of the humans. "That is why I had him executed when he returned. Failure will never be tolerated!"

Daemon filed that away for future reference, just in case there came a time when he could not fulfill a task.

"And if this is the Galactica returning, then they will be heading for their old home worlds in a vain attempt to reclaim them." The Imperious Leader continued its thoughts aloud. "The humans are if nothing else, stubborn! Even after we have all but eliminated them from existence, they still cling to the hope of defeating us. They continually refuse to learn from the past that the Cylon Empire will never be defeated by their weak organic species. They do not have the strength of numbers or technology to defeat us"

"It would seem that they have developed a new technology your Excellency!" Daemon said.

The Imperious Leader gazed upon the IL series Cylon with what would have been utter fury had it been human. How dare this mere IL series continue to speak without being given permission! But it did have a point! It did seem as if the humans, if that was indeed who it was that was behind these attacks, had developed some deadly new technology that rendered the Galactica "invisible" to the Cylon scanners until it was too late for them to defend themselves and then "disappear" again before a counter attack could be initiated.

They would have to discover a way to counter this new technology quickly before the humans were able to push their way thru the Cylon defenses and retake their former home worlds, worlds that the Cylons had taken over and turned into "trophies" of their victory over the humans.

The Cylons had not occupied the home worlds of the humans as they had nearly every other planet they had conquered, instead they left them as they were after the elimination of the humans. They left the great cities of the humans, once magnificent, gleaming symbols of their occupant's former glory, as little more then piles of ruble. The great halls and cultural centers, the government and public buildings, all lay as they had thirty yahren before after the fall of the colonies. And though each of the ten remaining planets did have a garrison of Centurions stationed on it to deal with the few surviving humans that would, from time to time, crawl out from whatever hole they had been hiding in, they had left the human home worlds as they were, as a lesson to the hundreds of other species that they had conquered of what would happen to them if they ever tried to resist the Cylon Empire. It was an object lessen few chose to challenge.

The Imperious Leader thought on this for a moment, deciding what course of action would be best in combating this new menace. If they did not discover how to counter this new technology, the humans could destroy any Baseship. They had to find a way to stop the humans.

"Daemon, I am tasking you to discover all you can about this new human technology and finding a way to combat it. Use whatever resources you need to fulfill this. I grant you full access to all message archives dealing with this matter and I will place a Baseship at your disposal if you need to investigate first hand."

Daemon would have felt a huge knot of concern and fear growing in his stomach had it been human. He had just been given a "task" by the Imperious Leader, and it knew what the price of failure was.

"By your command!" Daemon said with only a hint of trepidation in its "voice".

"This is a great opportunity for you Daemon, perform this task well and you shall be rewarded greatly, fail and you will rue the centon you were constructed."

"I understand Excellency and I will not fail." Daemon said with more confidence then it truly had.

"Then proceed with your task." The Imperious Leader said, and without another word the Imperious Leader turned away from Daemon. After a slight hesitation, Daemon turned and exited the command center of the Imperious Leader, intent on finding out what this new technology the humans had was, and how to defeat it.


	24. Opening Moves

Battlestar Galactica

Past, Present, Future

Chapter 24

Opening Moves

"Here's to another glorious victory over the Cylons!" Yelled Commander Seleukos of the Scorpion Warstar Aniketos, raising his cup of Scorpion grog toward the assembled Warriors in the officers club aboard the Warstar Alewndrinia. It was Seleukos who had successfully completed the last attack on the Cylons, destroying a Baseship without it firing a single shot back in defense. The other Warriors in the room responded in kind, lifting their cups in salute. The mood was very festive in the large room, as it was after all the previous successful attacks of the past four sectars. In that time the ships of the combined Colonial and Scorpion fleet had made nineteen attacks on various Cylon forces, including twenty seven Baseships and six small Cylon outposts, all without a single loss! So the Warriors of the fleet were all in very high spirits.

But that was about to change.

At that moment the hatch slid open and in came a group of Warriors and civilians, all of which wore very somber expressions on their faces. None of them said a word as they made their way to the front of the room where they all gathered around the podium that stood on the dais at the head of the room. Many of the Warriors took immediate notice of the group and began speculating as to why they were there. The noise level dropped noticeably as one of the officers stepped up to the podium and began to speak. A man that looked anything but pleased.

"Can I have your attention please!" Commander Apollo said into the microphone at the podium.

The Warriors of the fleet quickly quieted down and moved toward the podium, their jubilant mood diminished somewhat by the dour expressions of the senior staff. All were wondering what had happened to bring the senior staff down to the Officers Club. It was several moments before everyone had quieted down, the last of which was Commander Seleukos. Once he had stopped talking, Commander Apollo began to speak.

"I am not at all pleased with the last mission!" he said. "Not pleased at all!"

A low grumble began thru the group and the smiles that had been on the faces of nearly everyone were now altogether gone.

"And why would that be …… Commander?" came the voice of Commander Seleukos, looking smugly at Apollo. "We destroyed the target without so much as a single shot being fired back at us! What could YOU possibility find wrong with that mission?"

Many of the Warriors in the room voiced their agreement with Seleukos statement.

Apollo leveled his gaze at the Scorpion officer. He and Seleukos had had run ins on several occasions in the past, mostly because Seleukos disagreed with the decision to place Apollo in overall command of the fleet instead of Commander Leonitus, the Lord King of Scorpius. Seleukos had held his tongue for a short time after Leonitus had a little "discussion" with the hot headed Scorpion Commander several sectars ago, but now Apollo feared Seleukos would start causing problems all over again. He did not relish the possibility of another round of confrontations with Seleukos.

Just as Apollo was about to respond, Commander Leonitus leaned over to Apollo and spoke to him. Apollo nodded and stepped aside as Leonitus stepped up to the podium and fixed his eyes on Seleukos.

"We would have discussed the particulars of the mission with you during the mission debrief Commander had you chosen to follow orders and report to the War Room as any responsible Scorpion Commander would have. But instead you decided to come here to celebrate the sloppy and unprofessional execution of a simple mission any first yahren cadet could have led." Leonitus chided Seleukos. "So, since you decided that doing your duty was not as important as getting drunk and bragging about how great you are, Commander Apollo and I have decided to carry out your mission debrief here! Now! In front of all your friends and colleagues, so they can see a perfect example of how NOT to perform their duties as a Commander of the Scorpion fleet!"

One could hear a pin drop in the room as every eye feel on Seleukos. The utter shock of the Lord King of Scorpius chastising Commander Seleukos for not following protocol was shocking enough, but doing so in front of every officer of rank in the fleet was unheard of!

Seleukos stood there dumbfounded; his mouth hanging open from the shock. His King's admonishment in the presence of the other officers of the fleet mortified him beyond thought. The first thought that came to his stunned mind was, "What ever could he have done to deserve such a vehement rebuff from the man he worshipped as a god?"

As if he was reading Seleukos's mind, Leonitus continued.

"You have no idea what I'm talking about do you Commander? Not a single clue as to what you did wrong!"

Seleukos found his voice again and responded to Leonitus's accusation.

"Lord King, I may have neglected reporting to the mission debriefing straight away to have a quick drink, but the mission was perfect my lord! We destroyed the Cylon Baseship without them so much as getting a single shot off at us. I do not see anything that we could have done better!"

Leonitus stood at the podium staring at Seleukos, his expression unreadable. He turned and glanced at Apollo, who gave him a slight nod, then turned to Commander Dieanicas who handed him a black folder. He laid the folder on the podium and slowly opened it. He then very deliberately flipped thru the pages contained inside the folder. After several microns of this he asked Seleukos a question, never raising his eyes to look at his subordinate.

"Commander, how many microns was it between the time you dropped out of trans-space and then returned back into trans-space?"

Seleukos expression went from one of confusion to one of trepidation.

"I am not sure Lord King." He responded.

Leonitus nodded his head slowly, not looking up from the folder.

"Do you know how far from the Baseship you were when you dropped out of trans-space?"

Seleukos searched his mind for the answer, but he could not remember.

"I … I do not recall exactly Lord King."

Leonitus looked up from the folder and fixed Seleukos with a stare that made the man feel as if he was standing in front of the engine exhaust of a Warstar.

"You don't seem to remember much about the mission Commander! Are you sure you were even there?"

Seleukos could not help but lower his eyes at the implication that had just been thrown at him. He was beside himself with embarrassment.

"Let me ask you this Commander, do you remember the details of the mission's profile briefing you were given before you departed?" Leonitus asked pointedly.

"Yes Lord King." came Seleukos's weak response.

"Fabulous!" Leonitus said with mock glee. "Then tell me what distance were you suppose to be at from the Cylon Baseship when you dropped out of trans-space and what was the time allotment for you to carry out your attack before you returned to trans-space?"

Seleukos looked up at Leonitus, trying desperately to regain some small part of his composure and responded.

"We were to drop out of trans-space at a distance of no more then two thousand metrons from the target. We were to launch a five missile spread at the target and return to trans-space within twenty five microns."

Leonitus stared at Seleukos and nodded slowly!

"Well at least we know you were awake during the pre mission briefing and that you did know and understand the parameters of the mission. You DID understand the parameters of the mission did you not Commander?"

"Yes Lord King! I understood them!" Seleukos replied with a bit of defensiveness in his voice.

Leonitus nodded his head slowly as he looked back at the folder on the podium. Then he asked Seleukos another question.

"So, if you knew and understood the parameters of the mission, and you were the officer in command of the mission, then perhaps you can tell us why the readings from your mission logs, which we had to get from your second-in command, show that you dropped out of trans-space at a distance of four thousand three hundred and seven metrons from your target. That you fired your missiles at a distance of two thousand two hundred metrons, and that you did not return to trans-space for seventy seven microns?"

Once again Seleukos jaw hung agape as he tried in vain to reason out what he had just heard. How could he have misjudged his transition from trans-space to normal space by such a great distance? And had he really taken so long to execute the mission? Certainly that could not be the case! There had to be a mistake, a computer error perhaps? He could not believe that he had misjudged the timing of the mission so badly.

"I know not how or why Lord King! I have no excuse!" Seleukos stated with some of his normal strength. He had no idea how he had miscalculated his trans-space jump and missile launch so badly, he did know however that there was nothing he could say or do to change what had happened during the mission, and even though the target had been destroyed, he had failed to follow the mission protocols and was now going to have to face the music.

"Very well then! That being the case, as a Commander of the Scorpion Fleet it is your right under Scorpion Military Law to choose how you wish to face the charges against you. You have the option of facing Command Tribuneral or Royal Judgment!" Leonitus told him.

"If you choose to go thru the Command Tribuneral, your fate will fall to a group of your peers and could very well end with your dismissal from the military ….. Or worse!" Leonitus told Seleukos. "If you so chose to take Royal Judgment, I and I alone will decide your fate, which could also prove very displeasing. I will give you some time to consider your options before you have to make your decision Commander."

"I need no time to make my decision Lord King!" Seleukos said firmly. "I have lived my entire life by military code and I will not change that now. And the first law of that code is that all faith and allegiance is to the Lord King of Scorpius, and his decisions will take precedence over all other laws. So as it is my right to chose, I chose to leave my fate in my Lord Kings hands!"

Leonitus stared at Seleukos for several moments as if sizing up the man. He had made judgments on officers before, officers that had done far worse then what Seleukos had done, officers that had committed all manner of crimes including the unlawful termination of another human's life. In those cases it was easy to sentence the guilty party to life imprisonment or even death. But this was different. The stakes were much higher this time. Seleukos incompetence could very well have compromised everything they had done up to that point and everything they had planned for the future.

He also knew that Seleukos was a very good Warrior. One of the best in fact! He was courageous in battle and was a natural leader once the battle was joined. His skills and strength of character would be of great use in the future. And so Leonitus made his decision. He turned to Apollo and spoke to him for a moment. Seleukos noticed that Apollo's gaze moved to him and saw him nodding his head in agreement with whatever Leonitus was saying. Then Apollo spoke a few short sentences to Leonitus. After a few more moments of conversation between the two, Leonitus returned to the podium.

"Commander Seleukos, after considering all the facts concerning this event, you are hereby charged with the following offences, one, Failure to follow the orders of your superior officers. You were given orders to perform your mission and did not follow them as instructed. Two, Failure to follow standing orders. You did not report to the War Room upon completion of your mission to be debriefed. Three, Negligence in the performance of your duties. Your attack on the target was performed in a manner that does not reflect the level of competence expected of a Scorpion Commander. And lastly, Conduct unbecoming an officer of the Scorpion military. How do you plea Commander Seleukos?"

Seleukos cast a quick glance at Apollo, who stood with his hands folded in front of himself and an unreadable expression on his face. Then he returned his gaze to Leonitus.

"I plead guilty of all charges Lord King."

Leonitus stared at Seleukos for a moment, then nodded his head slightly.

"The accused has pleaded guilty to all charges. That being the case, I hereby sentence you to a reduction in rank to the rank of Major, with that the loss of your command, the Scorpion Warstar Aniketos. You will be transferred to another vessel where you will assume whatever duties the Commander of said vessel decides to assign you to. I also sentence you to one sectar in the brig."

Seleukos was shocked! He could not believe that he was receiving such a comparably light sentence. He was expecting at the very least to be dismissed from the service and sent to the brig for several yahren. To only get a sectar of brig time and a demotion to Major was almost a gift!

"Sentence is to begin this time tomorrow. You will have till then to get your personal effects together and spend some time with your wife and children." Leonitus continued.

"My most humble thanks to you Lord King."

"Don't thank me Seleukos, thank Commander Apollo. If he had not spoken favorably on your behalf, you would no longer be a member of the military and would be spending the next ten yahren in the brig."

Seleukos looked at Apollo who was whispering to Starbuck. When he caught Apollo's eye, he nodded a simple thank you to him and then turned to move to the back of the room with the other more junior officers. Starbuck leaned over to Apollo and said, "Looks like you made a friend out of Seleukos."

Apollo just smiled slightly and said, "I'll just settle for not having to deal with him and his attitude again."

Leonitus spoke to Apollo again and then turned back to the assembled officers.

"I will now turn this briefing back over to Commander Apollo."

Apollo and Leonitus changed places and Apollo began.

"Now that we have dispensed with that rather distasteful subject, we can show you why it is imperative that the parameters of each mission be followed exactly as they are given to you."

Apollo placed a small infodisk into a slot on the podium and an image appeared on the screen behind him. It was a picture of a Cylon Baseship.

"These are enhanced scans of the Cylon Baseship the Aniketos attacked. They were taken from a distance of twenty million kilometrons, well outside the distance of the Baseships scanners but well within our own. As you can see, the Baseship is moving slowly and is not at an alert posture. They have their landing bays closed and their mega pulsars are in the stowed position. This ship is totally unaware of our ships presence. Now watch as the Aniketos makes its attack and withdrawal."

Apollo pressed the viewer controls and the Baseship could be seen moving thru space as if nothing was wrong. Then without any sign of it coming, the Aniketos appears next to the Baseship. The Aniketos moves closer to the Baseship and after nearly forty microns, it begins firing missiles, five missile tracts can clearly be seen, and then twenty microns later, the Aniketos disappears back into trans-space.

The first of the missiles impacts the Baseship twelve microns after the Aniketos returned to trans-space. The second one hit its target five microns later.

Seleukos smiles as he see's his handy work play out on the screen. He feels somewhat vindicated as he and all the others watch as the huge Baseship is rocked by the two missile impacts. But then his smile fades as the replay continues.

The third missile only hits the edge of the Baseship as it appears to be picking up speed. This causes very little damage. But what is worse is that the other two missiles miss the target entirely! Seleukos shakes his head in disbelief. He can't believe that only two of his missiles hit the target where they would do any damage. It was another embarrassment he would have to bare.

"As you all saw, only two missiles hit the Baseship in areas where they did any real damage. The third missile hit in and area that did little more then rock the ship a little. The last two missiles fired missed the target entirely and self destructed after they ran their course." Apollo told the Warriors as they watched the scene continue. "Now the damage to the Baseship is considerable and it will eventually cause its destruction, but this will not happen for nearly seven centons!"

A murmur of voices sweep thru the room as they watched the wounded Baseship begin to slow down as the fires and explosions spread through the vessel. After nearly four centons, the giant ship began slowly tumbling over and over. The explosions became more and more pronounced as the fires consumed more of the giant ship until finally, the Baseship disappeared in a blinding flash of white light. As the screen went black, Apollo addressed the room again.

"As you all saw, the Baseship survived for nearly seven centons after taking two well placed, direct hits." He said looking at Seleukos and nodding his approval. "So you see why it is crucial that you are within two thousand metrons of the target when you drop out of trans-space and make your attacks. Otherwise you give the Cylons time to get their main propulsion online and make an escape. This time they were only partially successful. They didn't get away, but they did survive long enough to do some severe damage to our plans!"

Again a murmur sweep across the room as everyone wondered what Apollo was referring to. He was about to show them. He pressed the control to the projection screen and a series of pictures appeared on the screen, pictures of a ship. A very familiar ship.

The Aniketos!

"These images were intercepted by the Carpathia, which is also the ship that captured the scans of the Baseships destruction." Apollo told them. "These images and a distress call were sent out by the Baseship before its communications were knocked out, approximately one hundred and forty microns after the second missiles impact."

The Warriors of the fleet looked at the pictures of the Aniketos and were amazed at how clearly they could see each and every detail of the mighty Warstar! Every laser turret and missile bay could be clearly seen and identified. The landing bays were visible as the Aniketos turned away from the Baseship and went into trans-space.

"If the Cylons break down these images, and I'm sure they will, then they will be able to discern the weapons capability of the Aniketos and possibly find a way to counter its firepower."

"Doubtful!" came a sarcastic reply from the back of the room.

Apollo looked in the direction of the comment, but could not tell who said it, so he continued.

"You might have your doubts, but I don't! I've seen what the Cylons can do with far less information then what they'll get from those images. I tell you all now, this short series of images that the Cylons captured of the Aniketos could very well cost us this war."

A murmur went thru the room as Apollo's statement rang home. Could what Apollo said really be true? Could they lose the war because of Seleukos? Several Warriors began turning disapproving eyes on the disgraced former Commander.

Apollo saw the looks thrown Seleukos's way and immediately chimed in.

"Whats done is done!" He said. "We can't change what has already happened. All we can do now is learn from our mistakes and move forward. As Commander Starbuck would say, "The stakes have just been raised, and we need a cap stone."

This got a few chuckles from the Scorpion Warriors as they had come to know about Starbucks affinity for playing pyramids and his uncanny luck at the game.

"So, we need to be extra careful on all future missions to insure that the mission profiles are carried out to the micron and the metron! Is that clear?"

A resounding "Yes Sir" came thundering back!

Apollo looked at the other members on his senior staff to see if they had anything to add, and upon seeing there where no further comments from the staff, he departed the Officers club with the others.

All except one.

"Well Seleukos! Looks like your big mouth and you're over inflated ego finally done you in!" thundered Colonel Taurisis, the XO of the Warstar Sharlianos. The Sharlianos was the only Warstar not commanded by a Scorpion Commander. Most of the crew of the Sharlianos was made up of Sagittarian Warriors, who for some unknown reason believed they were of superior skill and courage to their Scorpion allies! This had been a point of contention for centuries!

Seleukos turned to face his antagonizer.

"Why don't you crawl back to that rusted out refuse hauler you call a Warstar Taurisis!" Seleukos said dismissively! "This is a place for real Warriors, not over stuffed fools who got their rank through politics!"

The room erupted with howls of laughter as Taurisis's face reddened with anger.

"You watch your mouth "MAJOR" or I'll have you and the rest of these buffoons up on charges before your precious King!"

This silenced every Scorpion Warrior's laughter and brought forth the murderous side of all! Seleukos and several other Warriors advanced slowly toward the pompous Sagittarian, hands slowly slipping toward their blades when the one straggler from the senior staff stepped forward and spoke!

"Colonel Taurisis, I would be willing to let you berate Seleukos for what he did. I'd even allow you to bring all these Warriors up on charges of disrespect to an officer of higher rank! But I will not allow you or any other man to speak thus as you did about the Lord King Leonitus!" said Commander Dieanicas. "You speak with suck disrespect and contempt of The Lord King again and it will be my blade that slits your stinking Sagittarian throat! Do I make myself clear ….. COLONEL!"

Taurisis was stunned into silence by the pure hatred and fury in the voice of the senior Scorpion officer! He could do nothing but nod his head in response.

"Now get yourself off my ship and back to your refuse scow!" Dieanicas said in a low and threatening tone.

Taurisis saluted Dieanicas, cast a dark scowl at Seleukos, and departed in great haste followed by several other Sagittarian officers that neglected to come to Taurisis's defense. A cheer went up in honor of Dieanicas from the Scorpion Warriors. Dieanicas walked over to Seleukos and placed a hand on the young officer's shoulder.

"You must learn to hold your tongue Seleukos, especially now that you no longer hold the rank to back it up! A centar ago, Taurisis would never have had the nerve to say such a thing to you, but now, he is emboldened by your demotion and will use it to rain all manner of insults upon you. This is the time for you to learn humility and accept whatever abuse will be thrown your way by those we all know are inferior. Hold your temper in check and do your duty. In time, you will return to a command position."

"Yes milord Dieanicas!" Seleukos said in a low and frustrated voice. "I will do my best!"

"I'm sure you will." Dieanicas said. "And no matter what Taurisis says or does, do not kill him! If you do, there is nothing anyone can do to save you! Not even Leonitus!

Seleukos nodded and asked to take his leave so that he could get his personal affairs in order before reporting to the brig. Dieanicas dismissed Seleukos and made his way out of the room.

Dieanicas arrived a short time later in the War Room of the Alewndrinia where he found Commander Apollo, King Leonitus, and several other members of the senior staff discussing the next mission. Leonitus saw his old friend walk in and knew he was troubled.

"I see you finally made it old friend!" Leonitus said with a smile. "Was your hunch correct about Taurisis?"

"It was" Dieanicas confirmed. "I knew that Sagittarian son of a daggit would start running his mouth, and sure as I'm standing here, he did! Had I not intervened, I dare say that Seleukos and several others would be facing charges of killing a superior officer"

Leonitus nodded his head and glanced at Apollo, whose expression was unreadable.

"What action did you take?" Leonitus asked.

"I sent Seleukos to his quarters to get his family affairs put in order. I will have him assigned to the Gunstar Medeia. The commander there, Commander Jared, said he could use a seasoned officer as his tactical officer. And he knows Seleukos from previous commands. I've already arranged to have Seleukos's family and personal effects transferred to the Medeia while he serves his brig time."

"Very good" Leonitus said. "I'm sure Seleukos will adjust to his new duties quite soon and will become the professional Warrior I know he was destined to be. Now that that is done with, let us get back to the planning of our next mission! You were saying Apollo!"

Apollo nodded and began where he had left off when Dieanicas had arrived. Even though Apollo was the overall fleet commander, he knew that Leonitus was still the King of his people and that there were internal matters that they had that he would have to let them handle amongst themselves. The Seleukos matter was one of those!

"As I was saying, I believe that we must accelerate our plans and bypass a number of these small outposts and patrolling Baseships and strike here," Apollo pointed at a section of the three dimensional star chart that was projected from the center of the table. The star chart immediately zoomed in on the referred to section, "Gamoray! The Cylon outer capitol! Thirty yahren ago, it was a thriving system of over twenty five billion living beings. The Cylons wiped them out and took over the planet and their colonies. The Galactica and the Pegasus attacked the capitol city of Gamoray about twenty eight yahren ago to gain fuel for our fleet and did considerable damage. Imagine what we can accomplish with a fleet of this size and firepower conducting an all out assault on the planet and its colonies."

All the members of the senior staff nodded in agreement with Apollo!

"With the trans-space tactics we've been perfecting and the use of our long range scanners, we will be able to place our forces in optimal positions to destroy the Cylon's defenses and communications. And once we knock out their defenses, it should be a relatively simple matter to clean up the pockets of surviving Cylons. And once we secure Gamoray, we'll have a base of operations with an ample fuel supply to get us through to the end of the war."

This was greeted by several officers voicing their agreement.

"Tell me something Commander," said Minister Solon. "Why did you not conquer this Gamoray then when you had two Battlestars and make it your base of operations then?"

"Because at that time we did not have the strength to take Gamoray and hold it." Apollo told him. "Back then we were constantly under attack by the Cylons. We never had enough fuel or fighters to try and take the planets and start a counter offensive. My father knew the only way for us to survive was to keep moving and hopefully find the lost thirteenth tribe of Kobal!"

"I see." Solon said. "So it has nothing to do with your people having no stomach for war then."

A stone silence swept over the room as Apollo stood straight up and glared at the Scorpion Minister.

"Don't speak to me of courage Minister until you have displayed some yourself!" Apollo said with a great deal of anger. "I'm sure the reason you chose civilian service instead of the military was because you yourself lacked the courage to face your enemies in battle!"

Solon looked as if he had just been slapped across the face! He straightened up and stared at Apollo in stunned silence!

"Gentleman, let us stop this right now." Leonitus said loudly with all his royal presence! "Minister Solon, you are out of order with your accusations. If the events of the past few sectars have not convinced you that our Colonial brothers are as courageous and skilled in battle as any Scorpion Warrior, then you are as blind as a dead man!"

Leonitus rose from his seat and meet the eyes of everyone in the room, "If any of you have doubts about what we do here or who we are, then speak now! I will not go into battle with anyone whose heart and mind are not fully committed to attaining victory.

If you have doubts about our plans, say so! If you have doubts about those you fight along side, say so! If you have doubts about yourself, then by the Gods say so! Do not wait until the battle is joined before you address these! Now speak! Do any of you here have any doubts or thoughts that are along these lines?"

No one said a word, not even Solon. Seeing that none where going to speak up, Leonitus returned to his seat and bid Apollo to continue!

"When we were here before, we had only two Battlestars with severely depleted Viper squadrons. Between the Galactica and the Pegasus, we had just over one hundred Vipers. If we had managed to take Gamoray then, we would not have been able to hold it for more then a sectar or two because the Cylons would have sent dozens, if not hundreds of Baseships to destroy us."

"But now, with a fleet of several hundred warships and technology that the Cylons can't match, we can and will be able to take Gamoray and hold it. From here, we will be able to launch an offensive against the Cylons that hold the Colonies and push them all the way back to their own homeworld! They will have to surrender or be destroyed."

Everyone nodded in agreement!

"How long will it take for us to reach this Gamoray from here?" asked Commander Ptolemy.

"I figure that we would arrive at Gamoray in less the three sectars." Apollo answered. "And depending on what we encounter there, we should be able to launch our offensive against the Colonies within a secton of securing Gamoray."

"What sorts of defenses do you expect the Cylons to have at Gamoray Commander?" asked Commander Teris.

"That will depend on wither or not the Cylons have had any problems there!" Apollo answered with a wry smile. "Since we never did learn the fate of the Pegasus, Commander Cain may still be in that sector raising all kinds of Hades with the Cylons. If that's the case, they will have every weapons system in their inventory there."

"I do hope to meet this Commander Cain when we get to Gamoray!" said Leonitus. "He sounds like he has Scorpion blood in his veins!"

This made everyone chuckle.

"And if Cain is no longer there?" asked Teris.

"If they've had no problems in the recent past, they will most likely have only the standard planetary defenses and a Baseship assigned there."

This news brought a number of smiles to the staff officers.

"Something else to consider is that the Cylon's were turning Gamoray into an outer capital, so they may have a major spaceport there now! If that's the case, there could be hundreds of Baseships there. "

This erased the smiles from everyone.

I think the first thing we need to do is send a couple of our ships with the enhanced scanners out to do some long range reconnaissance of the system and see what we're facing. Then we plan our attack."

"That sounds like a grand idea!" Leonitus said. "We should dispatch the scanning ships immediately."

"I agree. Boomer, will you set that up? I want three ships with the enhanced scanners and one of the Warstars as backup!"

"I'll take care of it Apollo!' Boomer said and he left to do just that.

"So now we wait!" Leonitus said, leaning back in his seat! "With any luck, we could be walking the streets of Lacedaemon within a half a yahren!"

"Let us hope." whispered Apollo!


	25. Daemon's Task

**Battlestar Galactica**

**Past, Present, Future**

**Chapter 25**

**Daemon's Task**

**In a room filled with row upon row of computers, a single Cylon stood vigil. **

**This was Daemon, the IL series Cylon that the Imperious Leader had tasked with the awesome job of finding out who it was that was attacking their Baseships and figuring out a way to stop them. It was a duty that Daemon both relished and despised. If successful, Daemon would be elevated greatly in the hierarchy of the Cylon power pyramid. But if he failed, Daemon knew that his existence would be at an end, that he would be destroyed, or worse, disassembled and his parts used to build a refuse collector. The thought of that sent an uneasy jolt through his systems.**

**Daemon was plugged directly into the central computer core so as to assimilate any and all data that was transmitted to the homeworld concerning the strange alien vessel that had destroyed Baseship number 407 near the Paradeen sector. The Baseship had reported that it was under attack by an unidentified ship that "appeared" out of nowhere, and then just as quickly, disappeared without so much as a trace. This did not seem possible to Daemon and his theory was that the Baseship commander tried to lie about what happened to cover up its own incompetence. Not that it mattered now though since the Baseship exploded a short time after the message was sent. **

**Daemon was lost in thought when a data file popped up on the network and was sent to his "second brain". He was caught totally off guard by this and almost did not react quickly enough to open the file before it returned to the data stream. Daemon wondered how the Imperious Leader could stay connected to the data stream for sectars at a time and never miss a single byte of information when he was hardly able to keep up with the data from such a restricted search parameter as he was searching.**

**The file that popped up was a visual file. Daemon opened it and was amazed at what appeared before him. The visual images were somewhat blurred from having to travel so far a distance, but it was unmistakable as to what was being shown to him. It was the alien ship!**

**The first image showed an enormous ship with its prow heading right at the Baseship. Daemon entered a few commands into the computer to try and clear up the image, but this had only moderate success. Daemon could not make out too much detail, but he could tell that this ship was far larger then the one Battlestar he had seen, thus making it highly unlikely that the humans were behind these attacks. The second image was not much clearer, but it did give a better idea of just how massive the ship was. Whoever these aliens were, they were a serious threat to the empire.**

**The next few images were of the same quality, even with the enhancements. They showed the giant vessel moving toward the Baseship, turning and firing missiles, and then moving away. Daemon could make out only a few details of the ship, such as missile launchers and what appeared to be laser turrets, but he could not discern any real details. The quality of the image signal was just too degraded from having to travel so far through space.**

**Daemon brought up the last few images and could see what looked to be landing bays. There were two large openings on the side of the ship near the rear of the central section. These greatly resembled the landing bays of a Colonial Battlestar! **

**Interesting!**

**The next image showed the ship fully from the rear. Daemon could now see the outline of two more landing bays on the other side of the ship. **

**Four landing bays! **

**Daemon could only guess how many fighters a craft of that size could carry. A thousand? Tens of thousands? No telling how many this thing held. Daemon was beginning to think that his centars were numbered, either because he would not find a solution to this new adversary or because this new enemy would destroy the entire Cylon race.**

**The next image was brought up and Daemon immediately could tell something was not right with it! He could still see the alien ship as it moved away from the Baseship, but in this image, it looked different. Daemon studied the image in minute detail, scanning and enhancing every square micrometron of it. After several centons of careful scanning, Daemon realized what it was.**

**The alien vessel was entering some sort of opening in space!**

**Daemon could see the very faint outline of what he guessed was a hole in space. A rift! He quickly went through the previous images to see if the rift was there before and sure enough, it was not! The rift did not appear until the ship was at that precise spot in space. Daemon quickly forwarded to the next image to see if the ship and rift were still there. The ship was gone, but Daemon could still detect the slight outline of the rift. **

**Daemon "stared" at the last image for several centons, absorbing the implications of what this could mean. If he was right, they could be dealing with beings that were not from another galaxy, but possibly another dimension! That strange surge passed through his systems again. Daemon wondered for a moment what could be causing this reaction. After several microns a strange, almost unfathomable thought came to this "mind" ….. Could this be fear?**

**The Imperious Leader was scanning the same data that Daemon was and coming to many of the same conclusions. Whoever these beings were that had been attacking them, they could not be the human survivors from the Colonies. The humans could not have advanced that far technologically in just 30 yahren. The technology to do what that alien spacecraft had done was far beyond their capabilities. Humans, the Imperious Leader was certain, did not have the aptitude or intellect to create such a thing. These beings had to be from another galaxy, or another plan of existence. The possibilities were endless, and somewhat daunting. How could they deal with this enemy? An enemy that could strike at them without the slightest warning and then be gone in an instant! **

**And what was their reason for attacking? Had they done something to these new antagonists? If so, what did they do? And when did they do it? And how could they be stopped? Could they be stopped? Those and hundreds of other questions flew through the Imperious Leaders "mind" as he sifted through the endless streams of data. One thing was for certain, the Imperious Leader needed to find a way to defeat this faceless enemy and take their technology for his own.**

**At that moment, another item caught the Imperious Leaders attention.**

**Another report of an attack, this time three Baseships were under attack!**

**The Imperious Leader brought the data to the fore and began assimilating the information. Immediately it noticed a difference in the way this attack was progressing. This time the enemy ships didn't just "appear" out of nowhere because the Baseship commanders actually picked up their approach on their scanners and were able to defend themselves. **

**The Imperious Leader followed the course of the battle via the information stream that was being sent from the lead Baseship, number 308. The Baseship commander, an IL series called Malice was sending open frequency reports back to the Central Command so the Imperious Leader was able to "see and hear" the battle as it happened through Malice's "eyes". A brilliant idea on Malice's part, one that would earn him a promotion ….. if he survived!**

"**Seeing the battle as it was being fought, the Imperious Leader could see that the enemy was engaging his forces with fighter craft. Upon closer examination, he saw that some of the craft bore a very strong resemblance to the Colonial Vipers the humans flew thirty yahren ago. Others that attacked he did not recognize, and yet, they seemed somehow … familiar!**

**Another difference was that these ships were much smaller and numerous. In the previous attacks, there had been but one enormous ship reported, but this time, they were attacking with what appeared to be a score of large vessels and hundreds, if not thousands of fighters. And were his sensors deceiving him, or did several of those larger ships look like … Battlestars? **

"**They are Battlestars!" Daemon said out loud to himself.**

**He had tapped in to the same data feed as the Imperious Leader and was watching the same video feeds from the far distant Baseships that were under attack. Daemon worked franticly to record and clarify the signals, enhancing the images of the enemy ships as much as possible. Was one of those ships the Galactica? If so, why did they come back? And who are the people in the other Battlestars? There where at least three that he could make out, not to mention the dozen or more ships that he could not identify. Who were they? All these questions and more kept popping into his "thoughts" as he watched the battle progress. Daemon was sure of one thing, this was not the same enemy that had destroyed the other Baseships! These were humans!**

**Daemon entered a new search into the computer and a large, three dimensional map of the star system appeared above the table next to him. He then entered another command into the computer and a voice said, "By your command". Daemon had initiated a voice command interface. **

"**Computer, plot the location of the battle being fought at this time in sector eight seven seven."**

**Immediately a red ball appeared in the star grid. Daemon studied it for a moment then ordered, "now, plot the locations of all the previous attacks on our forces going back one sectar."**

**Several orange balls appeared on the map, forming somewhat of a line …. from the opposite side of the map! Daemon studied this for several moments as well.**

"**Computer, do a search of any know human activity in sector eight seven seven or any adjoining sectors radiating out from that point." Daemon ordered. "Search back fifty yahren."**

**The computer began placing green balls into the map at a score of locations. They were wide spread throughout several adjoining sectors and most were along know trade routes that the humans used when they existed.**

**All except one.**

**Daemon looked at the one spot and wondered, why was this on spot so far away from all the others? **

"**Computer, what is this one location?" he asked.**

"**Specify." came the electronic voice of the computer, the same one that all Centurions had.**

"**The one in sector nine nine two!" Daemon said in a tone of what would be utter frustration had he had emotions. "What can you tell me about that spot?"**

**The computer took a moment to find the data requested then began to relate it to Daemon.**

"**The contact indicated is an unverified human outpost that was destroyed fifteen yahren ago."**

"**Unverified?" Daemon said. "What do you mean, "unverified"?"**

"**The initial report was made by Task Force One Two One while searching for signs of human survivors. The report states that the task force detected a Centurion locator beacon in that sector and went to investigate. The task force commander reported that one of their scout ships discovered a small network of satellites near the Sepharis asteroid belt."**

**The Sepharis Belt was an asteroid field of enormous size and density formed when the planet Sepharis tore itself apart over ten thousand yahren ago. **

"**When the task force moved into the sector to investigate, they were destroyed."**

"**Destroyed? How?" Daemon asked.**

"**Unknown. No further contact was made with Task Force One Two One." **

**Daemon thought on this for a moment. An entire task force destroyed without any explanation. What could have done that? Certainly not those that attacked them now. They would have been able to send some sort of message had that been the case. **

"**Where there any other reports of attacks on Cylon forces in this area before or after?"**

"**Negative."**

**Daemon was silent for over a centon as he tried to figure out what was going on. How could an entire task force be destroyed without there being any reports of it? Was it some sort of natural disaster? A star gone nova? A black hole swallowing them? Daemon was coming up with lots of questions and no answers! **

"**Were any other units sent to look for Task Force One Two One?"**

"**Affirmative."**

"**Let me see the details."**

**It took the computer less then a micron to locate the information and send it to Daemon's electronic brain. Daemon absorbed the information quickly and mulled it over. According to the reports, another task force was dispatched to the area after contact was lost with Task Force One Two One. The reports state that no sign of any Cylon presence was found and the asteroid belt had been "significantly altered"! Daemon found this description odd. The reporting commander stated that the asteroid belt was seventy eight percent smaller by volume then it had been when the Cylons first discovered it two hundred yahren before and that it was almost devoid of asteroids in one area.**

**Daemon contemplated this for several microns, trying to figure out how a thing like that could have happened. And then a thought came to him.**

"**Computer, what was the general make up of the asteroids of the Sepharis Belt?"**

**The computer searched for the requested information. After a few microns, the geologic report from the first expedition sent to the belt by the Cylons was found and forwarded to Daemon. What was found in the report all but confirmed what Daemon had suspected. **

**A massive explosion!**

**That is what destroyed Task Force One Two One. The Sepharis Belt contained extremely high levels of tylium, higher then those on the planet Carillon that exploded 30 yahren ago when the humans escaped from the Cylons. Somehow, the massive amounts of Tylium in the asteroids must have been ignited all at once, causing an explosion of unimaginable force! That is the only thing that could have destroyed the task force and altered the asteroid field to such a degree! **

**But what could have set off such an explosion? Even if a Baseship had exploded there, it would not have been powerful enough to set off such a massive explosion. It would have taken several Baseships exploding at the same time to ignite so much Tylium! It would also require a great deal of time for the Tylium to reach critical mass before it exploded. This happened all at once! It would take something much more powerful, but what? **

**Daemon returned to the live feed from the battle in sector eight seven seven. Two of the three Baseships had been destroyed and the third Baseship, the one Malice was on was in shambles. Daemon was sure it would not last much longer. Malice was giving the order ram one of the Battlestars that looked to be in almost as bad a shape as was his Baseship. Daemon could see the dying Baseship alter course and start picking up speed, heading right for the heavily damaged Battlestar! Hundreds of small fighters could be seen making desperate strafing runs at the Baseship as it moved toward the Battlestar, making the behemoth shake violently! But still it advanced toward what would be a monstrous collision. Daemon almost felt as if he was there, standing in the command center, watching the distance close between the two ships.**

**Then, just as it seemed nothing could stop it, another vessel moved in between the Baseship and the wounded Battlestar! **

**There were dozens of bright flashes coming from the new ship, laser fire from scores of turrets and the launch of as many as ten missiles. Then just as fast as it had appeared, it was gone, sailing away at high speed. **

**The Baseship was rocked violently by the impact of the missiles and laser fire. New fires broke out all over the Baseship and huge sections of the hull began to fall away, spinning off into space. The Baseship lost its momentum and veered off its intended course due to the force of the explosions from the missiles. Daemon knew that Baseship 308 was done! And no sooner had the thought been made, Baseship 308 exploded in a huge ball of flame.**

**Daemon stayed motionless for several centons as he reviewed the events that just transpired. He had just witnessed the destruction of a Baseship first hand and now knew that they faced not one, but two enemies! One, the known enemy, humans, who it seemed had returned in great numbers and was now reigniting the war that they had lost thirty yahren ago. **

**And two, a faceless, unknown enemy of immense power that strikes without warning and destroys without any chance of retaliation. To Daemon it seemed that the Cylon race was caught between forces bent on their destruction and perhaps being turned into a refuse collector was not such a bad fate after all!**


	26. Saxton's Decision

Battlestar Galactica

Past, Present, Future

Chapter 26

Saxton's Decision

It had been several sectars since Sergeant Duggan, now Lieutenant Duggan had discovered the signals of the Cylon Task Force being destroyed by a as yet still unknown enemy.

He had managed to tap into the Cylon Command Communications grid and had became privy to what were the reports of a Cylon task force that was under attack and eventually destroyed by an adversary that the Cylons could not identify. Not only did the Cylons not know who it was that had attacked their task force, but they could not even defend themselves from the attackers. This enemy used technology and tactic's that the Cylons could not defend. These attacks had started a flood of communications throughout the Cylon Empire! He had spent countless centars tapped into the Cylon Command grid listening for more information about the strangers.

He had learned that the as yet unknown hostiles had over the course of the past several sectars attacked and destroyed some sixteen Baseships, seven outposts, and two Cylon colonies, one on the planet Paradeen and one on the planet Lunar Seven, wherever they were, and were on a course directly toward Caprica.

Duggan remembered when he first heard of these two planets. They were in a report from a Baseship that was sent to check into why the Central Command had lost communications with those planets. As it turned out, both planets had been attacked and all Cylon presence had been destroyed! An occurrence that did not bother Duggan in the slightest since he had also learned that both of these planets had been populated by humans before the Cylons following the Battlestar Galactica discovered them.

When the Cylons discovered this they "Cleansed the planets of the human infestation." Duggan thought, still remembering that phrase, "Cleansed of the HUMAN infestation"! The Cylon report referred to those people as if they were nothing more then pests, insects to be destroyed out of hand. He could not understand how any culture could have such a blatant disregard for another!

Well now someone had done the same thing to them, and Duggan thought it was justly deserved!

So now, here he was, once again plugged into the Cylon Command Communications grid, or as he called it, the "CCCG". He would spend most of, if not all of his shift listening into the goings on of the Cylon military command, hoping for some new piece of information as to what these new antagonists were up to.

Since his first discovery, he had become a bit of a celebrity. He was the guy that discovered the new foe of the Cylons! This had gotten him not only a promotion for being able to break into the CCCG, but made him the shift leader for his section. His military career was looking much brighter.

And his social life had begun to improve as well.

He had finally had the chance to get together with the pretty brunette that worked in the mess hall. Her name was Helena and she was in training to be a base security officer, but worked in the mess hall between classes. He really hoped that things would work out between them, because for the first time in his life, he was sure he was in love! Time would tell.

Anyway, he was back in the "Pit", doing what he did best, listening to and deciphering Cylon message traffic. It was a tedious job, but someone had to do it and he had proven that he was one of the best at it.

The "Pit" had changed somewhat over the past sectar too. It had been renovated with all new equipment and a lot more space. Now Duggan could actually stand up and walk around inside the small room. The ancient electronics gear that had filled the space before had been replaced with new, integrated components that took up less then a tenth of the space of the old stuff, and had tens of thousands of times more power and capacity for listening and recording. It was a huge improvement over what he had been using.

So Duggan was in the "Pit", listening to the Cylons as they went about their usual routine. The usual, mundane status reports were coming in from all corners of their Empire. Not a word had been mentioned about the strangers that had been attacking them in nearly two sectons, so Duggan was curious as to if this was because there had been no attacks, or were they using some unknown code word for the attackers.

The thought had barely hit his mind when the grid came to life with a number of priority signals. Duggan was all over it this time and with the new equipment, he began recording dozens on different calls at the same time. He started scanning the calls trying to find the best one to listen in on and after just a few microns, he locked onto a signal that was unlike all the others. This signal had a video feed attached to it.

Duggan flipped on the switch to the monitor that had been added to his domain and there, on the screen, came to life the real time images of what appeared to be a battle being fought in space between the Cylons and another group.

Could it be the unknown enemy that had plagued the Cylons of late?

Duggan didn't know and wasn't going to wait and find out!

He pressed the switch to the communication system, another new item added to the "Pit", and called over the base intercom system for Commander Saxton.

Commander Saxton was standing at the head of the conference table, leaning forward with his fists resting on the tabletop, his eyes locked on those of Doctor Prior. Once again, the good doctor was up in arms about one of his experiments being closed down before its completion because of the volatile nature of what he proposed to do. This was far from the first time the two men had squared off over one of Prior's experiments and he was sure it would not be the last, though he could hope!

So the Commander had called for a review of what the doctor was proposing to do.

"Doctor Prior, we have already gone over this a hundred times before! You are not going to set off an explosive charge inside the Dreamworks, and that is final!" Saxton said in a tone that would have told anyone else that there would be no further discussion. Unfortunately, Doctor Prior had never learned to take "NO" for an answer. He was bound and determined to have his say and push the issue until he either won his argument, which he rarely did with Commander Saxton, or was escorted out of the meeting, which had happened more times then he cared to remember.

"That is true Commander, we have gone over this time and again, and I will admit that there have been times, in my …. exuberance, to see a program or project through, I have made some very "unreasonable requests of you." Prior said, faining sincerity. "But this time is different. This one experiment could provide us with a weapon powerful enough to wipe out the Cylons forever! I only need to conduct one, very small detonation of this new compound, and if it works as I think it will, it will make it possible to destroy a Baseship with a single missile the size of your arm!"

"Or it could cause a cave in that the Cylons could detect and if that happened Doctor, we'd have little chance of escaping! No Doctor, I will not allow you to set off this new explosive compound inside the base. It's far too dangerous. Even if it didn't cause a cave in or damage the base in some way, I'm sure the sound vibrations could be detected by our friend's topside." Saxton shot back.

"Maybe they could, but I seriously doubt it." Prior countered. "I plan on conducting this test in tunnel 41 Epsilon."

This caused nearly everyone in the room to give the Doctor a quizzical look.

"What is "Tunnel 41 Epsilon"?" Colonel Nader asked.

Prior smiled ever so slightly.

He had them!

Now to close the deal.

"I'm glad you asked Colonel." he said with a smile. "Tunnel 41 Epsilon is the deepest, longest, most isolated place in all the Dreamworks. There are only a few of us here that even know of its existence."

"Is that so?" Nader replied. "And why is it that you failed to inform us of this place before Doctor? We've been down here thirty yahren! Don't you think you should have mentioned this before now? Where is this tunnel and what kinds of felgercarb have you and your minions been hiding down there?"

Prior chuckled a bit at the Colonel's indignation and said, "I have not been hiding anything Colonel, down there or anywhere else."

"Then why didn't you tell us about this place?" Nader asked again.

"Because you never asked Colonel."

This caused Nader to come up out of his seat as if he was going to launch himself across the table at the scientist. Only a firm hand on his shoulder from Commander Saxton kept him from doing so.

"Doctor Prior, we should not have had to ask you about this "Tunnel 41 Epsilon". You should have disclosed it when we first arrived here.

"Commander, I showed you everything you asked to see. I showed you the hanger bay, where we keep all of our experimental craft. I showed you our labs, where we design and built everything you've seen down here. And I have taken you to the test facilities, where we do all of the testing of the items we developed." Prior countered. "And I told you on many occasions that if you had any questions about anything, you could ask me and I would tell all to you!"

"How are we suppose to ask about something we didn't know existed Doctor?" Nader asked. "We don't even know where it is!"

"Really? You have stood right in front of it Colonel." Prior said with a smile. "You even stood looking at once, but you never asked anything about what was down the tunnel opposite the test labs, did you? You simply ignored it and went back to your command center. Do you remember that Commander?"

Saxton thought back to the day when he, Nader, Sergeant Kelso, and Doctor Prior all went down to the lowest levels of the Dreamworks to look around. He was extremely impressed with the facility, especially the fact that it sat over six kilometrons beneath the capitol city of Caprica. It was an amazing facility.

He also remembered Doctor Prior taking them all to the testing facility on the lowest level, and showing them all the different areas and telling them what they were used for. It was a truly fascinating place. And he did recall looking down the unmarked tunnel on the opposite side of the chamber and wondering where it lead to, but he neglected to ask. And none of the others asked about the tunnel either. So, in fact, Doctor Prior was absolutely correct. None of them had asked about the tunnel and they had evidently forgotten all about it over the yahren.

"You're right Doctor. We never did ask you about that tunnel." Saxton admitted. "But I'm asking you now! What is "Tunnel 41 Epsilon" and why do you think you can detonate an explosive down there with what you're telling me is a more powerful compound then anything we have right now without collapsing the tunnel or sending a shockwave up through the ground that alerts the Cylons that something down here just isn't right?"

"Because Commander, Tunnel 41 Epsilon was designed to handle explosions a hundred times greater then that of an exploding Battlestar!"

Every face in the room wore an expression of total shock at this statement.

"What do you mean "an exploding Battlestar"?" asked Major Leia.

"I mean just that Major. Tunnel 41 Epsilon can withstand the blast force and heat release of an explosion one HUNDRED times as powerful as a Battlestar being destroyed and not suffer any significant damage." Prior said. "It was designed to disperse the energy and heat thorough thousands of smaller tunnels and shafts that form a lateral maze for hundreds of kilometrons in all directions. Tunnel 41 Epsilon is also an extra two kilometrons deeper then the rest of the Dreamworks, so even if the Cylons had their most sensitive detection devices sitting right on top of Tunnel 41 Epsilon, they would only read a small rumble, not even as much as a small ground shift. We've conducted some pretty large scale detonations down there before without anyone noticing."

"Oh really! And just when have you been doing this Doctor?" Colonel Nader asked incredulously.

"Well, we conducted a few experiments down there for the past forty yahren Colonel, the last of which was just a few centars ago!" Prior told him. "Nothing too exciting, but we have done a few large scale tests there just over a sectar ago."

The looks on the faces of the senior staff told Prior exactly what he wanted to hear. They had no clue that he and his team had been conducting moderately large scale operations right under their noses without anyone knowing! More proof that his plan would work.

"Do you mean to tell me you have been conducting explosive tests down there without our knowledge or consent?" Saxton said in a tone that Prior knew very well and still flinched at.

"Y-yes sir. I have conducted a great many tests that were not cleared by you." Prior said, his voice shacking just a bit. "Nothing to extravagant mind you, but very vital to our work here."

Saxton fixed the doctor with a very dark look. It was a look he knew all too well. The look that said he had crossed the line once again and was about to pay for it!

"Doctor Prior. I have been abundantly patient with you in the past. Mostly because, even though you were "officially" in the military, you were working in a civilian environment here in the Dreamworks and were never properly ….. indoctrinated into the Warrior way of life. But since the holocaust that destroyed our world thirty yahren ago, we have all been under what amounts to marshal law, meaning that anything that goes on in this facility has to have my approval. Yet you still find it necessary to go behind my back and do whatever it is you want."

Prior stood silently, knowing that to say anything would only make matters worse.

"Most of your defiant acts have been minor, but this time you have crossed the line! This time you have not only defied and ignored the chain of command, but you have willfully and deliberately put this facility and all of those who live here at risk, not only being discovered by the Cylons, but at risk of being buried alive. This is intolerable! Therefore Doctor Prior, I am shutting down all your operations. As of this moment, I am ordering the immediate cessation of all of your activities in the labs and testing facilities. I am ordering the immediate locking down of all power to the labs and test areas and security will be placed on these areas."

Doctor Prior stood there, his eyes wide with shock and his mouth hanging agape. He could not believe what was happening. He might have expected to be reprimanded again, or at the very most be restricted to his labs, but to have his entire section shutdown entirely was unthinkable!

"Furthermore, Doctor Prior, you and your staff will be restricted to the living quarters and public areas on level two. I am having your access level down graded to reflect these restrictions until further notice."

"Commander please! You can't do this!" Prior pleaded. "I know I made a mistake by not keeping you informed, but you can't keep us from continuing our work! We are so close to a major breakthrough …."

"Doctor Prior, I don't care what it is you're close to." Saxton said in a voice that was just short of yelling. "You have violated every rule, restriction, and confidence we have here. You have endangered the entire population of this base and the safety of this facility. Your work might be important doctor, but it does not supersede the safety and wellbeing of the people that live here."

Prior looked completely deflated. He knew that he had been wrong in the past not to keep the Commander in the loop, but in his exuberance, he routinely forgot to go through channels. This time it was going to cost him!

"Alright Commander, you've made your point." Prior said with little strength. He seemed resigned to what was happening. "I'll have my people power down everything in the lower levels and secure all experiments. Once they do that, you can safely cut all power to those areas. Is there anything else you need me to do?"

Saxton was caught a bit off guard by this sudden change in the doctors persona. He had expected a much more defensive and defiant response, not one of total capitulation.

"Doctor Prior, what I need from you and your people is ….." Saxton began before the base intercom interrupted him.

"Listening post nine to Commander Saxton. Urgent!"

Saxton sat down in his seat and placed the headset for the communications system on his head. He flipped the switch to open the link to listening post nine and responded.

"LP nine, this is Commander Saxton. What is it you need?"

"Commander, this Duggan sir. Lieutenant Duggan that is sir. I have something going on here that you really need to see sir!"

Saxton thought for a moment. The last time he gotten a call from the young Warrior in the listening post, it was about the new enemy that had been attacking the Cylons over the past few sectars. This news had given both a boost of enthusiasm and caused a bit of dread to nearly everyone. The fact that the Cylons were being beaten by what appeared to be a very advanced foe was great for the spirits of the people in the Dreamworks, but it was not known who these people were or how they would react to the human refugees if and when they found them. This made Saxton and many others a little less then thrilled.

"Alright Lieutenant, I'm right in the middle of something rather important right now, but I will get down there as soon as I'm done."

"Commander sir, I think you'll want to look at this right away sir." Duggan insisted.

Saxton exhaled his frustration, then nodded his head and said, "Okay Lieutenant, I'll be down there in …. "

"No need to come down here sir." Duggan interrupted. "I can send you the visual feed"

Saxton looked around the room at the other members of his staff, who were in turn looking at him with rather confused and concerned looks. He raised a hand to let them know that he would be with them in a moment, then to Duggan he said, "Okay Lieutenant, send the feed to the main viewer in the Command Center briefing room."

"Yes sir! Sending visual feed now!"

The large video screen at the front of the room began to come to life as the young Warrior in the listening post routed the signal he had intercepted to it. The signal was a bit off, probably from the difference in technology between the Cylon equipment sending the signal and the equipment Duggan was using to listen in. After a few micros though, the signal steadied up and the images cleared. And what they showed made everyone in the room's mouth drop open.

They were watching a space battle between the Cylons and, could it be …. A GROUP OF BATTLESTARS!

They were seeing the action from what must be the view point of a Cylon aboard one of their Baseships. From what Saxton could make out, the images could be coming from the Cylon Commander itself! He wondered if there was any audio signal with the images.

"Lieutenant Duggan, do you have any audio with this?" Saxton called to the young Warrior.

"Yes sir, I'm having a bit of trouble getting it to … wait! Audio is coming through now sir!"

Just then, the sounds of battle began pouring through the speakers in the briefing room.

"Baseship one zero two destroyed." came the voice of a Cylon Centurion reporting the destruction of one of their Baseships. "Baseship four seven severely damaged and retreating. Baseship five nine severely damaged and retreating. Baseship seven one damaged but still serviceable."

"The command Centurion of Baseship one zero eight requests instructions. Should they attack the damaged Battlestar or cover the retreat of our damaged Baseships?"

"Have Baseship one zero eight attack!" sounded a new voice. "If those other Baseships wish to run away, let them do so at their own risk. Have Baseships five five and one two three form on us and follow us against the human's left flank. Order Baseship nine seven to make a run at the damaged vessel that is with the Battlestars. Have them try and board and capture it. It might be one of those vessels that have been attacking from the other sectors."

Saxton called up the information about the previous attacks and had it projected into a star map. Then he had the computer plot the battle they were watching now.

The two groups of locations were nowhere near each other! The previous attacks were all along a line heading from deep space in sector three four seven. This new attack was in sector eight seven seven, almost the exact opposite direction. Was this another group of Battlestars coming to plague the Cylons? One could only hope! At least these WERE humans!

Saxton watched as the two fleets maneuvered and attacked each other.

He could see several Battlestars, but did not recognize any of them. He also saw hundreds of Vipers making runs on the Baseships as well as engaging the Cylon fighters. And he could also make out a few Colonial Gunstars and Destroyers. This wasn't the Galactica coming back to fight … This was an entirely different group. This was a full battle fleet!

There were many other ships, large and small that he did not recognize at all that seemed to be fighting alongside the Colonials. Ships with odd shapes and strange weapons. They did not seem to be very well organized, but they were doing significant damage to the Cylons with their sheer weight of numbers.

Saxton was pulled back to the moment when the images jumped significantly, as if the ship that whoever was recording the battle had just taken a major hit. There were flames throughout the room the images were coming from and several Cylon Centurions could be seen lying on the deck. The sound was not so clear as before, but Saxton could still make out what was being said.

"Centurion report!" the voice of what Saxton assumed was the Cylon Commander could be heard. "What was that?"

The voice of a Centurion was heard responding.

"Baseship five five was just destroyed."

"Destroyed? How?"

"A Colonial Gunstar and two Colonial Destroyers have maneuvered behind our formation and destroyed it." the Centurion said. "They are now attacking Baseship one two three."

"Then there is only one thing we can do. Centurion, intercept course with that damaged Battlestar. We are going to ram it!"

Just then the images began to shake violently and cut in and out, as if something huge had happened. After nearly a full centon, the image returned.

"Damage report all stations!" the Commander ordered. "What was that? Where we hit?"

"Baseship one two three has been destroyed. Part of it hull has struck our hull and has cause considerable damage. Propulsion is functional but we are discharging large amounts of Solium. It is only a matter of time before this ship is destroyed."

"In that case, best speed toward that damaged Battlestar!" the Commander ordered. "We will make the humans pay for what they did here"

The damaged Baseship could be seen moving again, picking up speed as it closed the distance between itself and the heavily damaged Battlestar. It shook violently as the stress of so much damage made the once sleek Baseship an almost unmanageable mess to pilot.

Faster and faster the dying Baseship moved, getting closer to its intended target. Then out of nowhere, a ship crossed in front of the baseship.

A Colonial Gunstar!

It began a barrage of laser fire from it massive turrets, punching huge holes through the hull of the dying vessel, causing more and more fire and explosions.

Then Saxton saw the "coup de grace" as no less then ten missiles were fired at the Baseship at nearly point blank range. The Gunstar, having released its wave of death upon the Baseship, made a quick exit from the screen just as the missiles struck home.

The Baseship shook violently again and again as explosions torn the once mighty ship apart. A large piece of the hull was torn away, spinning off into space. More explosions followed. The Baseship was losing speed and was now drifting far off its intended course. The Baseship Commander was not moving any longer, but the images were still coming through. Then there was a sudden, loud rumble and a bright flash! Then empty black.

The Baseship had exploded.

Everyone in the briefing room sat in stunned silence for nearly a centon before Colonel Nader spoke.

"So Sax, what do we do now?"

Commander Saxton sat very still for a few moments, almost as if he had not heard his long time friend and second in command. Then he looked at Nader and said, "Those were Battlestars, weren't they?"

Nader looked at his friend questioningly for a moment, not sure how to respond, then he nodded his head slowly.

"Yea Sax, those were Battlestars. At least they looked like Battlestars to me. And I saw at least one Gunstar and a few other Colonial ships. It looked like a whole battle fleet to me."

Saxton looked at his friend with a look of concentration, as if he was putting a great deal of thought into what Nader had just said.

"Do you think that was for real? I mean, you don't think that was some kind of fake signal do you?

Nader shook his head a little and said, "It looked like the real deal to me Sax! I have to admit, I didn't recognize any of those ships I saw, and those two Battlestars looked awful new, but it would be damn hard to fake a space battle of that size."

Saxton nodded his head slowly. He looked around the room at the others, all of whom were looking back at him, waiting to see what he would have them do. What course of action were they to take? After a few microns, his eyes locked on those of Doctor Prior. He held his gaze there for half a centon, then said to the good doctor, "Doctor Prior, a few centons ago you asked me what else you could do for me. Well doctor, I have an answer for you!"

Doctor Prior's mouth went dry as he tried to speak, but he did manage to croak out a response after swallowing really hard.

"A-a-and what is that Commander?"

"I want you and your people to get down to your labs and test that frakkin explosive compound you have and, if its everything you claimed it is, I want you to start producing it in very large quantities and replacing the solinite warheads on every missile we have in this complex with it!"

Everyone looked at Saxton as if he'd gone mad. One moment he was ready to shutdown everything that Doctor Prior had been working on for the past thirty yahren, and the next, he was telling him to ramp up his testing and production. Prior especially was unsure what was going on or what to do.

"Is there a problem Doctor?" Saxton asked when the doctor didn't respond or start moving.

"No sir, I'm just a bit confused is all. You want me to go ahead and conduct the testing?" he asked.

"Yes doctor, I want you to start testing immediately! And I want your results on my desk within the secton, is that clear doctor?"

"Yes sir, very clear. I can have the first results to you in six or seven centars if we start right now."

"Then what are you waiting for doctor?" Saxton said. "Get to it!"

"Yes sir." Prior said as he turned to get things moving for the tests he had been wanting to run before Commander Saxton shut him down. He didn't know why the sudden change of mind came about, but he was happy it did.

Once Prior was gone, Saxton began shooting orders to all his staff.

"Major Keitha, have that Lieutenant Duggan continue to monitor the Cylon Command channels for anything involving this recent battle and any new engagements in that general direction. Major Leia, contact all of those personnel that have been trained to work aboard the ships in the hanger levels and have them report immediately to those ships for refresher training. I want the ship Commanders to begin running drills as soon as they get their people aboard. Sergeant Kelso, I need you to get your security people up to speed on their urban combat tactics as soon as you can. Once you have them ready, deploy your people according to War Plan Alpha. Colonel Nader, I want you to insure that all ships are properly stocked with as many weapons and supplies as you can pack aboard. I want every vessel prepped and ready for immediate launch within the secton. Then I want you to have all the non combat personnel to be ready to move into the secure areas of the Command Center. I want this base to be ready to defend itself from the Cylons in case this goes bad."

"In case this goes bad? In case what goes bad? War Plan Alpha? Manning the ships in the hangers? Moving everyone to the Command Center? What are you doing Sax? What's going on?"

Everyone that had been given a task had automatically jumped to getting it done without question, but they all stopped to hear the answer to Nader's question, for they too wanted to know what was going on. They would of course do as they were ordered, but knowing why they were doing all these things would be nice.

"Because my friend, I believe you're right about that signal we watched. I think that was a real space battle between the Cylons and what appears to be a battle fleet of Colonial forces and some other group. I think that whoever is in command of that fleet is heading this way, back to the Colonies. Now I know that sector eight seven seven is a long ways from here. A VERY long way, but, if they are doing what I think they are, they will be heading for the Colonies and trying to retake them. And if that is the case, it is my intention to render any and all support we can to them. We will, if they do come here, launch all the ships in the hangers against the Cylon defensive systems here on Caprica and destroy them. Then we will join them in battle against the Cylons and with a bit of luck, we will win back our world. That is what we're doing Nader. Are you with me?"

Saxton looked around the room at the faces of his staff. He could see in their eyes the trepidation of doing what their commander was talking about, but he thought he could also see the flame of the Colonial Warriors that he had known and had served with for the past thirty yahren sparking to life. The flame that yearned for battle and a chance to reclaim that which was torn from them long ago.

"What say you my friends? Are you ready to go to war?"

The smiles on each persons face was all the answer Saxton needed!

If this was the return of man to the Colonies, then Saxton and his command would join in in what could very well be the last battle for humankind!


End file.
